The Princess And The Politoed
by Cakedecorator
Summary: This is a ContestShipping version of "The Princess And The Frog". May's a hardworking, budding Coordinator who wants to help her family revamp the Petalburg Gym. Drew is a frivolous Prince who was financially cut off by his folks. However, a run-in with some witchcraft will cause these two's worlds to collide! Now, can these two stand each other long enough to reverse the spell?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, ContestShippers! My name is Cakedecorator, but if you want to, call me 'Carly'. This is a jumbled-up version of my favorite Disney Princess movie, "The Princess And The Frog", but instead, it's "The Princess And The Politoed"! All of us ContestShippers are going to be in for a treat, because this story is May and Drew-centered with some twists along the way. You're going to see that there will be some obvious plot differences, so pay attention to those. And we'll also have a few characters playing other roles in this story, too. Before you read this story, though, check out my PenguinShipping story "Beauty And The Breloom". **

**So… LET'S GET STARTED!**

* * *

_'The evening star is shining bright… So make a wish, and hold on tight. There's magic in the air tonight… And anything can happen…' _A song sang.

It was early evening… The sun had set over Petalburg City, the stars were just starting to come out, the sky was darkening, and all of the Pokémon were starting to fall asleep.

In the heart of Petalburg City was a very fashionable house. On the top floor of the house, there were two little girls. One of the girls had blue eyes and blue hair, and the other one had blue eyes and brown hair. They were both dressed as little princesses, and then a woman, who had lighter-brown hair and lavender-pink eyes was reading them the story of "The Politoed Prince".

"… 'And then the Politoed looked up to the princess with his most desperate face ever. He told her, _'Please, Princess! Only you have the power to set me free from this blasted spell! Only your kiss can do it. Please!'_"

"My favorite part is coming up, May! I can't wait!" The blue-haired girl told her playmate, May.

"You know how I feel about that scene, Dawn," May told her friend, Dawn. "It's just so gross."

"Don't cover your ears, May!" Dawn said.

"'The princess was so touched by his plea for help, that she held out her arms, allowing the poor Politoed to hug her. As he ran into her arms, the princess smiled at the Politoed. She was so sad to think that it would most likely be the last time she'd ever see him, she bent down…'" May's mother, Caroline, said.

May was shivering while Dawn was eager, and Dawn forced May to keep from covering her ears, but May would have none of it, as she struggled against it.

"'She pursed her lips… And with all of her compassion and kindness, she kissed the Politoed on the forehead.'" Caroline said.

"Aw!" Dawn cooed.

_"EW!"_ May gagged, as she went green in the face for a split second. Her stomach then relaxed, as her mother continued with the story.

"'The Politoed, as if by magic, was then changed from a Pokémon to a handsome Prince. He and the princess were wed the very next day, and they lived happily ever after.'" Caroline said.

"Sigh… What a sweet ending!" Dawn said.

"The thought of kissing a Politoed makes me want to puke…" May muttered.

"Yeah. After all, just because you wish for something doesn't make it true," Dawn said. "And besides that, it's unrealistic to think that you can just kiss a Pokémon and then end up with the love of your life."

Caroline nodded, and was about to take out another story, "Snow White And The Seven Dunsparce" when she noticed Dawn's mother, Johanna, was walking towards the door of the villa.

"I see your mother coming, Dawn," Caroline said. "It's time for me and May to head home."

"Aw…" Dawn said. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

May nodded, as the house's Glameow started rubbing May's face with affection. Johanna then came in, and hugged Dawn while saying, "Thank you for babysitting again, Caroline."

"Anything for my best customer," Caroline said. "I just hope we can have May and Dawn see each other again tomorrow."

"Yay!" May and Dawn cheered together, as they soon parted ways that night.

As May and Caroline took the trolley back to the Petalburg Gym, which was what they called home, May was looking at all of the city lights and admiring how beautiful her hometown was during the evenings.

Once they were back at the Gym, May was helping her father, Petalburg Gym Leader Norman, cook dinner, while her mother was tending to two-year-old Max, May's little brother, by cradling him.

"Here! Done!" May said, as she put some sliced berries into the bowl.

"Are you sure?" Norman asked, as he picked up a fork to sample some of the food.

"Sure am!" May said, smiling.

Norman was about to putt he fork into the fruit, to taste the dish when…

"Hold it!" May said, as she added a little lemon to the dish and put the berry salad onto some toasted bread.

She then cut a little bit of the sandwich off, and ate it before nodding, and saying, "Yep. Done."

Norman then ate the sandwich, and then he smiled, saying, "May, this is the best sandwich I've ever eaten! Caroline, our little girl's got a gift!"

"That will be perfect when you make Pokéblock!" Caroline said, as she knew that both May and Dawn wanted to go into Contests when they got older.

"Thanks, mom!" May said.

As Caroline and Norman were putting May to bed, they were all talking about their dreams.

Norman, in particular, had one dream: the Gym was getting so run-down, that it needed a full renovation. He hoped that maybe one day the money he made as Gym Leader, as well as Caroline's babysitting duties would help improve the income enough to renovate the entire Gym.

"Hopefully, someday we'll have enough money to renovate the Gym completely," Norman said, as he gave May a picture of what the Gym would look like after the renovations. "People will come from regions around, just to get a chance to battle me!"

"_Or _Max." May said.

"That's right, honey!" Norman said.

May then noticed something outside the window, and said, "Mommy, Daddy, look!"

She then went to the window, and said, "Dawn's fairytale book said that if you make a wish on the evening star, it's going to come true, no doubt!"

"Well, you wish and you dream with all of your heart, honey!" Caroline said, hugging her daughter.

"Yes, and hold on to that wish," Norman said. "But remember: that star can only take you part of the way. The rest, you're on your own with that. Just work hard, and you can do anything you want."

"I already know that, Dad. You can't just wait for your dreams to come true: you need to make them happen yourself." May said.

"Exactly," Caroline said. "But I need you to promise us one thing."

"What's that?" May asked.

"That you never… _ever_ lose sight of what's really important." Norman said, as he held Caroline's hand.

May then nodded, making the vow, and then she got a kiss on the forehead from both her parents, as she was tucked into bed.

"Get some rest, honey." Norman said, as he and Caroline left the room, and turned off the lights before closing the door.

As soon as the door shut, May got up, and then went to the window with the paper of the renovated Gym. She looked at the star with hope, as the light of the star reflected in her blue eyes. May smiled, and as she hugged the paper, she said, "Please, please, _please_…"

However, she then heard something, and looked to her side to see a Politoed. She shivered a little bit, and as soon as Politoed started clapping, May screamed, and darted straight out of her bedroom, in fright.

* * *

Fast-forward fourteen years, and the layout of the room differed. There were books on interior design and several issues of "Gym Leaders' Monthly" scattered all over the floor. There were also several books on Pokémon Contests.

May, now nineteen years old, came into the room, with her hair unkempt and wearing a Contest dress with a belt with several Poké Balls on it, and she was wearing some shoes. The outfit was slightly disheveled, and May yawned before going to a drawer. May kicked off her shoes, and then she went to her dresser.

She opened a drawer, and she soon took out a purse that she had, and said, "Ugh… In terms of tips, last night was a disaster…"

May placed the coins and bills into a tin can and then pushed it back, where many more filled cans were.

May then closed the drawer, and picked up a photo of her father, Norman, before saying, "Don't worry, dad. Max, Mom and I will make sure the Gym is in top shape soon."

As music started to play, May then collapsed on her bed, falling asleep. However, she only got about five to ten minutes of sleep before her alarm went off. She then got up and smacked the 'off' button on the alarm, and then she went to her closet before taking out another outfit.

"Good night, Contest classes… Good morning, performances…" May said, as she snatched another outfit.

May then hopped onto the trolley that came by her house, and she looked to see Petalburg City in full business.

_"In the land of Hoenn, there's a city, way up on the river." _

May was inside the trolley, reading "Coordinators' Style" for her Pokémon Contests. One boy around her age was eying her, and then he pulled out a flower, just as May ducked under him to get off at her stop, and the boy noticed May was gone.

_"Where the women are very pretty, and all the men deliver." _

As May got off the trolley, some musicians, who were marching and dancing, soon blocked her. She tried moving around them, but they kept marching around her, and with her goal in sight, she soon found an opening.

_"They got music, it's always playing. Start in the daytime, go all through the night." _

However, a trombone playing got in the way again, and then a dancer spun May around. She soon had enough, and in an angry huff, May ran off to the Contest Hall, where she worked.

_"When you hear that music playing, listen to what I'm saying, it make you feel alright." _

May tossed a Poké Ball out, and then she released her Beautifly, which was sparkling in the spotlights. The little ones were watching, and they were all clapping with delight at seeing Beautifly.

_"Grab somebody, come on down." _

May made a command, and Beautifly was soon spinning while using Silver Wind to wrap itself in the move. It almost looked like that Beautifly was wearing a silver cloak. Beautifly mesmerized everyone in the audience.

_"Bring a paintbrush, we're painting the town!" _

May made another command, and Beautifly's eyes started to glow with a light blue aura, and then the Silver Wind stopped in its tracks before exploding into silver sparkles, impressing everyone. Beautifly then landed on May's head, causing May to laugh.

_"There's some sweetness going around! Catch you here in Petalburg." _

Meanwhile, outside, there was a desk that advertised witchcraft as a way to help people get what they want in life. There was a man with purple hair, dressed as a Cacturne, doing a tarot reading.

_"We got magic, good and bad."_

The man he was doing it for took off his hat and revealed he was bald. The purple-haired man then put some magic powder on a card, and then blew it in his client's face, giving him a full head of hair.

_"Make you happy or make you real sad."_

However, when he tried flirting with the girl he liked, the hair grew all over his body, and out of control, causing the woman to scream and sic her Poochyena on him.

_"Get everything you want, lose what you had, down here in Petalburg."_

In a back alley, the purple-haired man was laughing as he pocketed the coin he ripped off. The purple-haired man then witnessed Johanna, being driven by her chauffer, as she paid for a newspaper, and then tipped heavily on the boy selling it. Seeing the wad of cash, the little boy soon started jumping for joy. As Johanna's car sped past, the Cacturne-dressed man was dumbfounded by her vast wealth. His shadow then started moving on its own. It took the coin out, and put it into his owner's hand. He then gripped the coin angrily as he grit his teeth in jealousy.

_"Hey, partner, don't be shy. Come on down here and give us a try. You wanna do some livin' before you die. Do it here in Petalburg." _

Johanna then picked up the newspaper to read it. The headline was that a prince named Drew was coming to Petalburg City. The picture image of the prince's face then became colored, revealing his green hair, and emerald-green eyes. Said prince was on a boat that he came in through. There was a large crowd, and everyone was screaming to see him; cameras snapping pictures, signs and banners up, the whole shebang. His valet, an older man with darker green hair, and brown eyes, was carrying all of the suitcases and bags Drew brought.

Drew then ripped off all of his royal attire, his crown included, to reveal some casual clothes he had brought, including a fedora, and then he took out a Poké Flute and started playing, as he ran down to the girls below. All the girls started screaming, crowding around him, and giggling as Drew started to play; he noticed a jazz band, and then he soon left the girls, who screamed and followed him. His valet, Butch, then stepped in Drew's crown, and then he fell down the entire stairs to the dock, much to his dismay.

_"Stately homes and mansions, of the Berry Barons and the Poffin Queens." _

Meanwhile, Johanna's car came up to her villa, and then Dawn got into the car. Johanna handed her daughter the newspaper, and then after telling Dawn something that no one heard, Dawn clapped her hands in delight, as she was happy to hear the news.

_"Rich people, poor people, all got dreams. Dreams come true in Petalburg City…"_

Back at the Contest Hall, May was feeding her Pokémon, and they were thrilled with the food. As she did, the band came by, and Drew was playing his Poké Flute again; he noticed May from the corner of his eye, took off his hat, and flashed her a debonair smile, but May merely rolled her eyes, put her Pokémon back into their Poké Balls, and then went back inside the Contest Hall. Drew shrugged it off casually, and kept playing his ukulele happily, as Johanna's car came up to the Contest Hall.

A valet was ready with the car, while at the opening of a back alley, the Cacturne-dressed, purple-haired man was hanging around, while fiddling with one of his tarot cards.

* * *

"Okay, May, it's time for the next demo." Vivian, May's boss said.

"Right!" May said, with a nod.

May's main job at the Contest Hall was to put on miniature performances with her Pokémon. Both her night and day jobs were being Pokémon Contest instructors for up-and-coming Coordinators that were just getting started, and needed some instruction, or for kids who were too young to get their own Pokémon that wanted to become Coordinators.

"Okay, On Stage!" May shouted, as she tossed another Poké Ball into the air.

For the demonstration this time, May was using her Wartortle, instead of her Beautifly. May had Wartortle spin and use Bubble to act as spherical mirrors for the light coming from the spotlights, which caused them to sparkle.

Everyone in the crowd was watching in awe as May and Wartortle kept their performance going. Next, May had Wartortle stand on its front arms and use an Aqua Tail. The sparkling lights from the bubbles shinned down on Wartortle's tail, as well as the water coming out from it, causing Wartortle, and its tail, to shine and sparkle, too.

"Finish!" May shouted, as Wartortle slammed its tail on the stage, spreading the water, and then it stood on its tail while smiling, as did May.

"Excellent!" Vivian said. "Notice how May used some of the outside environment to her advantage in her appeal by using the lights from the stage to enhance Wartortle's Bubble, and used that enhancement to overall improve her appeal? _That_ is a perfect example of being able to use your limited environment with split-second timing and lack of constant exposure to that scenery!"

Everyone started murmuring and taking notes as May and Wartortle took a bow and then May put her Pokémon back in its ball.

"Okay, everyone, let's take five." Vivian said, as she clapped her hands.

"Hey, May!" A voice said, as May turned to the side of the stage and saw some of her friends. They were all waiting for her off stage, and were waving her over.

"Hey, guys!" May said, as she ran offstage and met up with her pals.

There was Timmy Grimm from Verdanturf Town, Kelly from Lilycove City, Grace from Fallarbor Town, Misty, the Gym Leader from Cerulean City, and Zoey from Snowpoint City.

"We're going to go out to a dance hall tonight for some Spanish dancing! Care to join us?" Kelly asked.

"Yeah, come on! Live a little!" Timmy said. "It's the Petalburg Festival!"

"Besides, I'm sure your Pokémon would love it; they work so hard, they need a break." Grace said.

"Come on, guys, you know how I am with crowds," May said, waving her hands. "Besides, I'm working a double shift tonight so…"

"So you can help make money to renovate the Gym, I get it…" Zoey said, putting her hand to her forehead. "May, working is all you ever do!"

"May!" Vivian said.

"I'll try next time… Maybe…" May said, as she headed back to the stage.

"I _knew _she'd decline…" Kelly said.

May regretfully looked back to them, and then Vivian interrupted May's thoughts by asking, "Talking about the Petalburg Gym again?"

May merely nodded.

"May, I _know_ you'll be able to save enough money to renovate that Gym! With your hardworking determination and your entire family pitching in, it will happen!" Vivian said.

"Thanks, Vivian," May said. "Ever since Max took over as Gym Leader, sure, the Gym has still gotten rave reviews for being a challenge to defeat, but interior design and safety is a tad questionable…"

"Ever since Norman…" Vivian said, but she dropped the subject. She knew May well enough not to bring up her father.

Norman, May's father, was the former Petalburg Gym Leader, prior to her brother, Max. Norman was diagnosed with Leukemia, and the medical bills took up so much of their Gym savings, that May, Max, _and_ Caroline each had to take at least one job just to pay them.

Norman died around five years ago, forcing her brother to take on the role of Gym Leader. Luckily, Max was being trained to be Gym Leader long before Norman's diagnosis. Caroline also gave Max helpful hints regarding how to properly raise Norman's Pokémon, who also grieved heavily over the loss of their Trainer.

Both Caroline and Max tried encouraging May to just leave on her journey, but May, not wanting her father's dream to either become real or die without her present, decided to leave when the Gym was renovated. When she told Dawn of her choice, her best friend also decided to stay behind so as to offer any and all help she could, financially or otherwise.

Just as the conversation turned sad, Johanna, Dawn's mother, then came in, and took a seat in the audience.

"Morning, Johanna!" May said, happily, as she got back on stage, and prepared to let out another one of her Pokémon.

"Morning, May!" Johanna said.

"Congrats on being crowned Queen of the Petalburg Festival parade!" May said, as she let out her Glaceon for the next demo.

"Caught me completely off-guard… For the sixth year in a row!" Johanna said, jokingly, as she laughed. "Now, shall I celebrate with…"

"Muffins?" May said, as she ran up to Johanna's seat, and gave her some of her homemade muffins. "Just made a fresh batch!"

"Keep them coming until I fall asleep with a stomachache, then!" Johanna said, as she started to eat one.

Dawn then came in, as happy as possible, and shouted, "Oh, May!"

"Hey, Dawn!" May said, as Dawn circled around her happily.

"Oh, May, did you hear the news?! Tell her, mom!" Dawn said, going over to her mother.

"Oh, Prince Andrew is coming to Petalburg, and…" Johanna said.

"Prince Drew, of LaRousse is coming to Petalburg City! Woo-hoo!" Dawn said. "Tell her what else you did, mom!"

"We're holding a Masquerade Ball in his honor, and he's staying at the villa as a personal guest of mine." Johanna said.

Dawn took a muffin, and started to eat one.

"Dawn, I thought you weren't interested in royalty and their affairs?" May inquired.

"I'm not, to be honest," Dawn said, as she swallowed her muffin bit. "I'm just excited for the party tonight; Mom says because we're the wealthiest family in Petalburg, we should accommodate Prince Drew by housing him for a while and putting on this gala."

"Wait, it's _tonight?!_" May said.

"Sorry about this…" Dawn said. "I'm hoping to find the right guy at the party. I just don't want to approach someone because of their status."

"That makes sense," May said. "And you're telling me because…?"

"Do you think that you can bake up a few dozen or more of these muffins of yours for the party tonight?" Dawn asked. "And put on a Contest Appeal, too?"

"Wait, for _tonight?!_ That's short notice…" May said, concerned.

"I can come by to help out later," Dawn said. "And besides, I'm sure we can get our Pokémon to help, too."

Dawn then snatched her mother's wallet, took out a wad of cash, and then handed it to May, and asked, "Will this cover it?"

Looking over the money amount, May smiled widely, and then said, "This should cover it perfectly, Dawn… This is it! The Gym's going to be fixed!"

"Woo-hoo!" Dawn shouted, as she jumped for joy. "The Gym's going to be fixed, and I might find Prince Charming tonight! And whoever he is, I'm not letting him go!"

Dawn then hugged May before running out of the hall, screaming happily.

Vivian then gave May a thumbs' up and then said, "Go get em', girl! Since you've gotten that commission, take off early today! I can handle the rest."

"Thanks, Vivian! See you next week!" May said, as she soon left the Contest Hall to get started on the muffins.

However, no one noticed that the purple-haired man and his independent shadow overheard the whole thing and started smiling evilly, as he hatched a plan…

* * *

**Alright, that's a wrap for this chapter! It took a while, but I finally got this chapter done. I hope you all read, review, and enjoy. As you can see, May's main goal is to help fix up the Petalburg Gym prior to leaving to become a Top Coordinator, and Dawn is the wealthiest girl in town, albeit she likes doing things herself. And since Tiana's father's death was due to dying in combat during World War I, I thought I'd change it up to something different. Besides, you don't see wars happening that often in the Pokémon universe, do you? **

**Now, in case you haven't already figured it out, the main villain in this story is going to be Harley. I decided to put Harley in as Facilier for this story due to the fact that Harley's always out to get May and either humiliate her, defeat her in Contests with foul play, or even both at once. **

**And if you haven't already guessed this, too, Lawrence will be played by Butch. You know, as in Butch and Cassidy, from Team Rocket, who are Jessie and James' main rivals?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the next chapter of "The Princess And The Politoed"! This is the scene where we see Drew formally introduced, and we see Harley do his witchcraft stuff, and such. Again, you're going to see some plot differences. As I'm sure you've already guessed, both Dawn and May are realists. And I'm planning on putting Dawn with Kenny in this story. For those of you who have seen the movie, we know Dawn's character, Charlotte, dreams of living a fairytale, but Dawn isn't portrayed this way. So, how does the entire movie plot play out with that happening? You'll just have to read and find out!**

* * *

Back in the city, Butch, still carrying the luggage, was walking around, causing the people around him to dodge like nuts, all the while pardoning himself for the intrusion.

One man asked, "Do you need help with those?"

Butch did not answer, but he soon heard music. Turning in the direction that it came from, he noticed a large crowd gathered around, and then he went to check it out.

A lot of people were snapping their fingers and moving around to the beat of the music. Butch looked into the crowd to see Prince Drew, playing his Poké Flute with the jazz band he had met up with earlier. A young boy was dancing along with him, and it was like Drew was teaching the boy how to dance. Drew then went off to the side to let his "student" take the spotlight for a minute. Then, the young boy did an amazing dance move.

"Alright!" Drew said. He then tipped his hat to the girls around him, and went back to dancing. The girls fanned their faces, as if swooning, in response.

"Sire, I've been looking for you all over the place!" Butch said, as he pushed his way through the crowd, and approached Drew.

"Oh, what a coincidence, Butch," Drew said, as he took off his hat. "I've been _avoiding _you all over the place!"

"We're going to be late for the Masquerade…" Butch began, but Drew cut in.

"Listen!" Drew said, and then their ears perked up. "Oh~! It's Jazz! It was _born _here in Petalburg!"

The instruments played pretty loudly, and Drew was enjoying every bit of it. He then used Butch's back as a table or something, and told a couple of girls, "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Butch, upset and disagreeing, lifted up, and said, "No, it's loud and annoying."

Drew shrugged and tossed his Poké Flute to the boy, who smiled up at him in delight.

"Oh, dance with me, Butch!" Drew said, and then dragged Butch onto the dance floor, and started dancing, but Butch was struggling, much to his disdain.

"We're supposed to be at the Berlitz' estate by now!" Butch said, as he got swept up into the dancing, something that he did NOT enjoy.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. But first," Drew said, as he stopped the dancing. "I buy everyone here a train!"

Everyone started cheering and threw their hats in the air.

"With _what money?!_" Butch asked, upset.

Drew looked at his valet nonchalantly, as Butch said, "You only have two options! One: woo and marry a wealthy young girl… and two: _GET A JOB!_"

Butch pointed over to a man who was working off his butt in a berry orchard, not having much success. Drew shuddered, and then he took out a Poké Ball, saying, "Alright, fine, but first, a performance!"

He sent out a Roserade, one of his Pokémon, and then it started to dance to the jazz while unleashing a Petal Dance, which made the crowd go wild. However, Butch tried to stop the situation, only for him to trip and fall headfirst into the tuba.

"Awesome! You _really_ were into the music!" Drew said, as he steadied his dizzy valet. "Do you get the joke? Because your head… It's stuck in the tuba."

"HELP!" Butch shouted.

Drew and the tuba player used their muscles to pull Butch out, only for both Butch and Drew to roll into a nearby wall. Drew was underneath Butch, and he was laughing. Butch then got up, and said, "This is the most embarrassing thing…"

However, a slim shadow overtook them, and then Drew and Butch looked up to see the purple-haired, Cacturne-dressed man.

"Gentleman! Let me help you up," He said, as he held out his cane to help Drew get up. "A nice, warm welcome from Dr. Harley."

He took out a business card, and handed it to Drew, saying, "How are you today?"

"Tarot readings… Charms… Potions… Dreams made real." Drew said, as Harley led him away to a back alley.

"I'm a betting man, myself. I like to stay away from games of chance, honestly…" Harley said, as he turned the corner, with Drew in tow.

"Sire!" Butch said, as he chased after.

"I'd JUST bet that I'm in the company of a visiting royal!" Harley said, as he stopped, right where he wanted Drew and Butch.

"Hey, Butch," Drew said. "This amazing man has _JUST_ read my palm!"

"_OR_ this morning's headlines…" Butch said, noticing the newspaper in Harley's back pocket.

Taking Drew aside, Butch whispered, "Sire, this guy is obviously up to no good. Let's move on to the…"

Hearing this, Harley got cross, and then shouted, in song, _"Don't you disrespect me, little man! Don't you derogate, or deride."_

Using his cane to point to the sign on his shop, which lit up with fire, Harley sang, _"You're in MY world now, not your world!"_

Drew was impressed, while Butch was nervous at this. Harley gestured his hands at the door, and he sang, _"And I've got friends on the other side."_

The door opened all by itself, while an echo sang, _"He's got friends on the other side."_

Harley then came up behind Butch and Drew, and then he led them into the room, while saying, "That's just an echo, boys. It's only a parlor trick; no worries!"

He then shoved them in front of him, and Harley snapped his fingers, which caused a light to turn on above a table, with three chairs. One chair was on one side, and two chairs were on the other.

_"Sit down at my table. Put your minds at ease," _Harley sang, as his shadow took off his guests' hats, and put them away. _"If you relax, it will enable me to do…"_

Harley's shadow had to kick Butch to go to the table, and then both human and shadow shared a hand slap together while Harley sang, _"Anything I please."_

Harley then started dancing, and then he jumped and flipped while singing, _"I can read your future. I can change it around some, too."_

He went over to the table, and Harley sang, _"I look deep into your heart and soul! You DO have a soul, don't you, Butch?"_ while using his cane to point at Butch.

He then danced on the top of the table, and sang, _"Make your wildest dreams come true!"_

Harley then showed Drew some voodoo dolls, then showed Butch a false Torchic, and then he opened up a tiny chest, releasing a stream of fire, while singing, _"I've got voodoo, I've got hoodoo, I've got things I haven't even tried!"_

He then sat down in his chair while his shadow pushed it in while singing, _"And I've got friends on the other side."_

Some masks from above and behind Drew and Butch then sang, _"He's got friends on the other side."_

Harley was then putting on little tricks with his tarot cards, and then three were dealt out on the table, as Harley sang, "_The cards… The cards… The cards will tell… The past, the present, and the future, as well." _

Harley then showed the cards to Butch and Drew, who each took three, while Harley sang, _"The cards… The cards… Just take three."_

Harley put the cards back and sang, _"Take a little trip into your future with me!"_

Harley then spread out the cards in front of his guests, three in front of each of them. He started with Drew.

Picking up the card in the center, Harley showed Drew his background, with a picture of a castle on an island. Harley then sang, _"Now, you young man, are from across the sea…"_

The card then changed its picture to show Drew's family tree, while Harley sang, _"You come from two long lines of royalty."_

"I'm a royal, myself, on my mother's side." Harley joked, holding up a marionette that was supposed to be his mother.

_"Your lifestyle's high," _Harley sang, as the card then showed a picture of Drew with a couple of girls, but then changed to him with pockets only unleashing flies. _"But your funds are low."_

The picture on the card then changed to Drew getting married, and behind the bride, was her father, and a large pile of gold coins. Harley sang, _"You need to marry a little honey who's daddy got dough!"_

"Parents cut you off, huh, womanizer?" Harley asked, smartly.

"Eh," Drew said, shrugging. "It's true."

"Now, you're going to tie the knot. But that knot literally ties you down. You just want to be able to go from place to place, free," Harley said, earning a nod from Drew. "But freedom… Well, it takes _green_."

Harley then flipped over the cards to reveal them to be dollar bills, and then he retracted the cards. He then gave Drew one of the cards, which revealed a picture of him in a pile of cash, playing his Poké Flute.

_"Now, on you, little man, I don't wanna waste much time," _Harley sang, referring to Butch, who did not take this well. _"You've been pushed around all your life."_

Harley then used the card as a flipbook to show a mini cartoon of Butch's past, singing, _"You've been pushed around by your mother, and your sister, and your brother. And if you was married…"_

Butch perked up at this, only for Harley to reveal the card, singing, _"You'd be pushed 'round by your wife."_

Butch was not really happy with this, while Drew held back a snicker.

However, Harley then told Butch, while giving him the card, _"But in YOUR future, the you __I__ see…"_

He gave Butch the card, which revealed Butch as the prince, while Drew was the one doing all of the heavy work, while Harley sang, _"Is EXACTLY the man you've always wanted to be."_

Butch took the card in hand, while Harley held out his hand to Drew, singing, _"Shake my hand."_

He held out his other hand to Butch, who was smiling evilly, finally seeing a chance to get what he wanted. Harley sang, _"Come on, boys, won't you shake, a poor sinner's hand?"_

Drew shook reluctantly, while Butch vigorously shook Harley's other hand. While singing masks were coming up behind them, singing an eerie song, Harley then sang, _"Yes…"_

Harley then ran to a curtain, and lit a spark of witchcraft on the floor, causing a curtain to park, revealing more voodoo masks, while singing, _"Are you ready?!"_

_"Are you ready?" _Some more masks sang in the background, while two Ekans appeared from behind Drew's chair, and tied him down.

_"Are you ready?!" _Harley sang, as the largest mask on the wall opened its mouth, and as it were by magic, a talisman was floating in mid-air.

Harley then took the talisman out, and then he sang, _"Transformation central!" _

_"Transformation central!" _The masks said, as a few Poké Dolls were playing drums.

_"Reformation central!" _Harley said, moving his hand over his face to change the lighting, and reveal Duskull-based makeup.

_"Reformation central!" _The masks sang again, while Drew struggled to break free from the Ekans.

_"Transmogrification central!" _Harley sang, as did a spin, and then used the talisman to pierce one of Drew's fingers, drawing out some of his blood; Drew screamed in pain.

As the blood rushed throughout the talisman, Harley sang, _"Can you feel it?" _

Right from the spot on his finger, green witchcraft magic then started swirling around Drew, who was screaming for help, as Harley sang, _"You're changing, you're changing, you're changing alright!"_

Through the green magic light, Harley's face turned into that of a Day of the Dead skull, while singing, _"I hope you're satisfied!"_

As Drew was shrinking, while struggling, and screaming for help, Harley sang, _"But if you ain't, don't blame me…"_

_"You can blame my friends on the other side!" _Harley sang, as Butch watched in horror, what was happening to Drew.

_"You got what you wanted," _Some of the voodoo dolls sang. _"But you lost what you had!" _

After a few more dance moves, Harley slid on his knees, as the song ended, and then he did a hush whisper as the lights went out, only revealing his skull-face makeup.

Later that night, at Dawn's villa, the Masquerade Ball was being held.

* * *

May was dressed as a Beautifly. Her dress was black with silver decorations, and she was wearing silver gloves on her hands. Tied behind her back were huge Beautifly wings, which were black with yellow, red, and blue markings. May also had a headband on that had false Beautifly antenna on it, and she was wearing a little bit of makeup.

May was standing in front of the muffin table, which had trays with muffins galore. Double chocolate, blueberry, lemon poppy-seed, cinnamon sugar, pistachio-walnut, etc., all kinds of muffins were on the table. May, as requested, began doing a Contest Appeal with her Beautifly as the main event of the gala.

"Beautifly, now, On Stage!" May said, as she sent out her Beautifly. Beautifly opened up its wings, and then started flying in circles.

"Silver Wind!" May commanded.

Beautifly then used Silver Wind by blowing a gust with silver crescents intertwined in it. The Silver Wind started to surround Beautifly, and then May stared closely to make sure the timing was right.

"Now, use Morning Sun!" May commanded.

Beautifly's wings started to glow white, and the light radiating from them pierced through the Silver Wind, causing silver sparkles to dance on Beautifly's wings while more sparkles rained down on Beautifly.

Beautifly then did an aerial somersault and landed on May's arm gracefully. Both May and Beautifly posed, and everyone was erupting in applause.

"Wasn't that a wonderful performance, everyone?" Johanna said, as she started talking to some politicians at the party.

May went back to her station at the muffin table, and then when she noticed Johanna's Glameow coming over to the table, May pulled the muffins away, saying, "Sorry, Glameow, none for you."

Glameow then gave May a charming puppy-like look, but May, not falling for it, just took out a bowl filled with Poffins, and put them down on the floor, before saying, "Don't worry, I made Poffins for you."

Dawn was standing nearby, on the stairs to the inside of the villa, and was tapping her fingers anxiously.

"Dawn, what's the problem?" May asked.

"I'm a little nervous," Dawn said. "Mom expects me to dance with Drew. I can understand why, but she also knows that I want to love someone for who they are, not _what_ they are."

"I know that, Dawn," May said. "Just chill out."

"But it's getting late, and Prince Drew still isn't here…" Dawn said, as she stepped down from the stairs and let her ball gown shine in the moonlight.

It was a cerulean blue dress with baby blue sequins all over it, and they were placed in a way that made it look like there was a flower meadow on her dress. Dawn was also wearing baby blue gloves and had her hair in a ponytail.

"Come on, Dawn, there are still a lot of boys to dance with." May said.

"You're right… but I'm just afraid none of them are my Prince Charming." Dawn said, concerned.

"Um, Dawn…?" May said, gesturing to her ear.

Dawn felt her ear, and noticed that one her earrings was missing.

"That's strange…" Dawn said. "Where'd my other earring go?"

"Um, excuse me?" A male voice said, and Dawn turned around to see a boy with chestnut brown hair, wearing a mask, and dressed like a prince. He was holding a blue sapphire earring that matched the one that Dawn as wearing.

Dawn immediately blushed. She knew that the boy in front of her was not Drew, but she started feeling love bloom in her heart.

"I see that this earring belongs to you," The boy said, as he gave Dawn her earring back, by putting it in her ear. "You wouldn't happen to be Dawn, would you?"

"Why… Yes, I am!" Dawn said, clasping her hands together.

"My name is Kenny…" The boy said, and then held out his hand towards Dawn. "Shall we dance?"

Dawn immediately had anime hearts in her eyes, and then she shook them off, as she took Kenny's hand, and then was about to dance, when…

A fanfare played, and then a voiceover said, "Ladies and gentleman, introducing his royal highness, Prince Drew of LaRousse!"

Dawn groaned lowly, as the spotlight soon came onto her. She then looked at Kenny, and said, "I'm sorry… My mom expects me to dance with Prince Drew."

"It's okay," Kenny said. "I can wait."

"Thanks," Dawn said. "I'll save the next dance for you."

Kenny smiled, and nodded a little bit, thinking, _'She doesn't care that Drew's a prince, does she…?'_

Drew held out his hand to Dawn, and Dawn then curtsied a bit before politely – as well as reluctantly – got into a waltzing position. Some ballroom music turned on, and then Drew and Dawn started waltzing together.

Kenny had a scowl on his face, while May was bemused. As May watched the duo dance, she noticed that there was a Ponyta standing next to her.

"Evening, May," The Ponyta's head said, and then it was taken off to reveal one of the Jones brothers. "Nice gala, isn't it?"

"Oh, hello, Mr. Jones, and… Mr. Jones." May said, as Ponyta's rear came up, and then the other of the Jones' brothers came out through a zipper.

"Wonderful-looking muffins you got there." The second of the Jones brothers said.

"Well, you'd better get as many as you want," May said. "Because once the Gym is fixed up, I'm heading out on my journey with Dawn."

"Yes… Here's the problem…" The first of the Jones brother said.

The second one said, "There's been a price increase on almost all of our materials."

"What…?" May asked, not believing what she was hearing.

"Yes, apparently the Bibarel and Gurdurr squads are on strike and their trainers are stuck doing all of the work. Unless you can come into a large sum of cash out of nowhere…" The first of the Jones brothers said, but trailed off.

"Then you're just going to have to put your renovation plans down the drain." The second of the brothers said.

"Excuse me?!" May said, getting angry, and cutting them off. "Do you have any idea how hard I work off my BUTT each day just to help my brother get the Gym back?!"

"Yes, we know. We honestly want to help, truly… But… We can't do this sort of thing for free. However, we're confident that you can do it." The first of the Jones brother said, before being putting their costume back on.

"Hey, get back…" May said, pulling on the tail, only for it to break lose, and she ended up crashing into the muffin table, with muffin crumbs and jams, jellies, and other condiments for the muffins all over her.

May got up, tears in her eyes, and her dress all stained.

Dawn soon came back, with a disgruntled look on her face.

"Man, Dawn… I really wish Drew wasn't so… regal," Dawn said, but soon saw the mess her best friend was in. "What happened?!"

May did not answer, but merely got up, and Dawn decided to help her friend instead. She turned to Kenny, and said, "I'll be back in a bit. I need to help May."

"No problem at all." Kenny said.

Dawn immediately had anime hearts in her eyes again, and then she led May up to her bedroom, and Dawn said, "Don't worry; I have _just_ the dress for you."

Kenny smiled underneath his mask, and then thought, _'Despite her wealth, she's a loyal friend… not spoiled at all…'_

* * *

**Sorry for cutting the chapter off here, but if I were to put the whole scene, including the kiss, that would have made it too long of a chapter. So, next time, May finally meets Drew, but not in the way she expects...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello, readers! Our next chapter is the real meet-and-greet of May and Drew, and as I'm sure you probably know how it's going to go at this point. As for which Pokémon will be representative of the gators here, you'll have to read to find out. So, let's get to the next chapter, shall we?**

* * *

Inside Dawn's room, she was reapplying her makeup, while telling May, "May, isn't Kenny the sweetest, most chivalrous boy ever?! Compared to Drew, who may be regal, like a prince, but he did not say a word to me at all!"

"That's nice…" May said, sadly, as she came out from behind the changing screen.

Dawn turned around, and then she smiled, as she saw May's dress. It was a pink ballgown, with a pale pink sash, and the dress itself was sparkling. There were also pale pink gloves that went up past her elbows.

"Wow, May, you look as beautiful as a Roserade in a flower garden." Dawn said.

May hugged a pole on Dawn's canopy bed, as Dawn took a matching tiara off her vanity, and then put it on May's head, while saying, "Tonight, our dreams are becoming a reality!"

"Yours, maybe…" May muttered.

Dawn did not hear this, and then she said, "Well, Kenny's waiting for me!"

She then left out the door, and said, "Kenny!"

May, still blue, took out the picture of the renovated Gym her father gave her, and looked at it. She was still blue, and then she sang, _"Almost…"_

May then walked out to the balcony while singing, _"Almost there… Challengers would've come from everywhere… I was almost…"_

"There." May said, as she was at the balcony railing, and then she was on the verge of tears. She then hugged her arms as she was leaning on the railing. Looking up, she saw the wishing star up in the sky, shinning brightly.

In the back of her mind, May knew that wishing on a star would not do anything, but she felt so desperate, that she would try anything at that point.

"I can't believe I'm doing this… But here goes nothing," May said. She hugged her picture, and then looked up to the star. "Please, please, please…"

When May stopped, she did not feel much better, and then said, "I knew it…"

However, things were about to get strange. She noticed that to her side on the balcony, was a Politoed.

May then scowled, and up to the star, she sarcastically said, "Okay, whoever's Politoed is this, this isn't funny!"

She then turned back to the Pokémon beside her, and smirked, while sarcastically saying, "Let me guess: you want a kiss?"

The Politoed, unexpectedly, put on a suave smile, and then said, "Why, yes, a kiss would be just nice."

Hearing the Politoed talk, May screamed, and she backed up into Dawn's bedroom, before running into a shelf where she knocked over all of Dawn's Poké Dolls.

"I'm sorry!" The Politoed shouted, as he then ran into the room, while May got up from underneath the pile of toys. "I am _so sorry!_ I had no intention of scaring you…"

May started throwing toys at the talking Pokémon, and the Politoed kept protesting, saying, "Wait, hold on! Ah!"

He then suavely said, "You're quite a strong-armed princess."

May threw another toy, which he dodged, and then said, "Please! Put the Mankey down!"

However, May threw it at him anyway, and landed a hit. Getting up, and holding a book, May said, "Don't you dare come any closer, or I'm gonna…"

"Hold on! Please, please!" Politoed said, as he came closer to May. "Please pardon my rudeness. I am Prince Drew."

May smacked him with the book anyway, and Drew weakly said, "…Of LaRousse."

"Prince? What prince did I wish…?" May said. As the Politoed then regained its composure, May started getting suspicious. "Now hold it. If _you're _the prince, then who was out waltzing with Dawn at the party?"

"I wish I could answer that," Drew said. "But all I know is that one second, I'm a prince, charming, dancing to jazz, and then next thing I know is that I'm tripping over these things they call feet!"

Showing her his Politoed feet, Drew caused May to get grossed out. May made ready to smack him again, only for Drew to notice the title of the book, and said, "Hold it! I remember this story!"

Looking at the book's cover, May said, "You know "The Politoed Prince"?"

"Yes! The servants in the palace read this to me every night when I went to sleep," Drew said, as he flipped the pages between the princess's kiss and the frog's transformation. "Yes! This is the answer, no doubt!"

Drew then turned to May, and then said, "Just like the princess in the story… Only your kiss can break the spell!"

"I beg your pardon?" May said, looking at Drew suspiciously.

"Trust me, you're going to like it," Drew said, standing up and walking over to May, putting on his suave face. "All girls enjoy Prince Drew's kiss. Come…"

Drew puckered up, but May backed away, disgusted, before saying, "Look, I want to help you. That, I can promise. But the thought of kissing a Politoed… Someone get me a bucket."

"Wait, what? But _you _were the one who asked _me!_" Drew said, in protest.

"Okay, one: that was being sarcastic on my part, and two: I didn't expect a Pokémon to reply in human speech!"

"Good point…" Drew said, before looking at May with sad, green eyes. "But you _must_ kiss me! Tell you what: not only will you get a handsome prince, but my family is filthy rich. Perhaps I can offer some type of reward, or grant a wish."

May then looked back at the picture on the floor. She then thought, _'But… That wouldn't be right, taking a shortcut, but what choice do I have? And Prince Drew needs help… But I know well what wealth he _really _has…' _

May then turned back to Drew, and said, "Is… One kiss going to do the trick?"

"Only one," Drew said. "Unless, you fall for me and want more."

Drew used his tongue to lick his lips, causing May to gag and grimace, before saying, "On the latter, _very unlikely_."

May then gulped hard, and leaned in, her eyes closed. However, she peeked, to see Drew's lips puckered up. She backed off, gagging, and trying not to scream. She then took a deep breath, before saying, "Okay, May, you can do it. It's just a kiss…"

Drew, meanwhile, found some of Dawn's perfume and sprayed it into his mouth, ready to kiss May.

May took a deep breath, and then smacked her lips onto Drew's. Magic flowed around, and when it stopped, May was gone, and Drew was still a Politoed.

Drew looked in front of him to see May's dress draped over something, and that something was moving around.

"Oh, snap…" Drew said.

May then took off the dress, and said, "You're still a Politoed, but you've gotten bigger… And up to my…"

She then noticed her hand, now a Politoed's hand, and looking at the full-body mirror, she noticed that she was a blue Politoed with pink markings.

"AAAAAHHH!" May screamed.

"Princess, calm down!" Drew said.

"How can you expect me to calm down?! I'm blue and pink… I've shrunken!" May said.

"It was a shock for me, as well. I know we'll find a way to change back!" Drew said.

May, in anger, tackled Drew, and then they fell out the window, into the middle of the party.

"Uh-oh…" May said.

"GLAMEOW! Get those Politoed!" Johanna commanded, and then Drew started to run off, grabbing May's hand.

"Ack! Glameow, down, girl!" May said, trying to calm Glameow.

Drew and May then ran in between Kenny and Dawn during their dance, causing Dawn to fall over, and then Kenny caught her.

Glameow was still chasing May and Drew, and then Drew found some balloons, tied himself and May to them, and then started to make them fly.

"Glamoew, stop it's me! It's May!" May shouted, as May and Drew started floating up.

"MAY?!" Glameow said, in human speech, before falling into the cake, and causing it to make its way to "Prince Drew", who was getting punch for Dawn. "Drew" then dodged out of the way just in time.

"Oh, man… Glameow spoke to me… The Glameow JUST talked to me in human speech…" May said.

"Chill out," Drew said, annoyed. "If every little thing is going to set you off, we're in for a long night!"

Meanwhile, one man in a mask removed his costume's mask, to reveal Harley. Meanwhile, "Prince Drew" ran into another building of the villa.

* * *

"Prince Drew" then opened a cupboard to see that a tied rope and gag were gone. Harley then came up behind him, angry, and "Drew" in Butch's voice said, "Um… Why the silence?"

"You untied him?!" Harley accused.

"Hey, you never said anything about letting him suffocate! So I loosened the rope a little bit…" "Drew" said, backing up, only for Harley's shadow to trip him from behind.

"How did I let myself get involved in all of this witchcraft nonsense?" "Drew" said, before standing up. "I can't do this!"

"Drew" then snapped off the talisman on his neck, causing him to change back into Butch, with each of his body parts turning back to normal in a quick patter, making Butch dizzy.

Harley pinched the bridge of his nose, while thunder clasped, with a scowl on his face.

"You wear this… This horrible thing!" Butch said, throwing the talisman back at Harley.

**_"CAREFUL WITH THAT!"_** Harley shouted, frightened, as he caught the talisman in his hands.

He then raised his cane to Butch, saying, "If this thing is busted… I'm going…"

Harley then calmed down, and then putting the necklace on, he said, "News flash, Biffy: this magic doesn't work on me, which is why I need you here."

"Besides," Harley said, before motioning towards a portrait of Johanna. "We both know that real magic in this world isn't witchcraft. It's cash! Piles of it!"

"You're right…" Butch said.

"Aren't you sick of living on the sidelines, while all of those fat Delcatty in their high-class motor vehicles don't look at you even once?" Harley asked, as he felt the same.

"Of course I am." Butch said, getting serious.

"All you have to do is be wed to Johanna's little girl, and we'll be swimming in that Berlitz fortune!" Harley said, as he led Butch to the mirror, and put the talisman back on, changing Butch back into Drew.

"Hm…" Butch said, admiring himself in the mirror. "But… What about Drew?"

"You're little screw up," Harley said, flicking Butch's face a little. He then gestured to the blood-filled talisman. "Will only be a small setback, so long as we have the prince's bodily fluids in the talisman."

* * *

Meanwhile, while floating in the air, above a swamp, in the rain, and still hanging onto the balloon, Drew told May how he got turned into a Politoed. To say May was not very happy to hear what he did would have been an understatement.

**_"WITCHCRAFT?!"_** May shouted, shocked. "You mean to tell me we're in this mess because you were messing with the Cacturne Man?! Okay, first rule of Petalburg City: **_NEVER_** go to Dr. Harley for **_anything_**!"

"Hey, he was really good with the charisma!" Drew argued back.

May groaned, and then she said, "Figures I'd get tangled up in this mess because I wished on a star. I should have just been realistic as usual, and worked hard to get what I want, like I always have!"

"Hard work?" Drew said. "But you're a princess. Princesses don't really have to work hard."

May then realized the reason she got tied up in the spell: she forgot to tell Drew she was not a princess.

"Oh, man!" May said. "This is _my fault_. I should have told you that I'm no princess. I'm really just a Coordinator."

"A Coordinator?! Are you serious?" Drew asked, with May nodding. "Well, that explains why the kiss didn't work! You liar!"

"Now, hold it! I never said I was royalty!" May argued back.

"That's true, but you never said you were a Coordinator!" Drew shot. "You were wearing a ballgown! And a tiara!"

"Costume party," May explained, sadly. "I'm _so_ sorry."

"Oh, yeah?" Drew said, angrily. "Well, the joke is on you, because I…"

"You were financially cut off by your folks?" May said.

"How did you know?" Drew asked.

"I read the news," May said. "I had no intention of asking you to help me. I just really wanted to help."

Drew's look softened, but then he heard a 'pop', and then said, "Oh, no…"

Both May and Drew fell into a spider web near the water in the bayou. May dangled a little, and then Drew fell on top of her, before they both fell into the water. Both Politoed then got up, still wet, and then May said, "Look, I knew you were lying about your money, but I helped you because I wanted to!"

"I wasn't lying!" Drew said, only for the two Politoed to run at the cry of a Fearow overhead. "I _will_ be wealthy once again!"

They soon dodged a peck attack from the Fearow, before Drew said, "Once I wed Ms. Dawn Berlitz! If she'll have me!"

"Trust me, Dawn prefers to marry a prince by heart, rather by title, and in terms of personality, you just do NOT fit the bill!" May said, as both she and Drew were running.

They then fell into the water, finally evading the Fearow completely. They then climbed up on a log in the middle of the water.

"But… Even though you're financially unable to help, you're still keeping your end of the deal by helping me renovate my family's Gym, _right?" _May asked, as the two Politoed then caught their breath.

"I beg your pardon, but I made that promise to a beautiful princess, not a…" Drew began, but…

"Hold it. You thought I was beautiful in that dress?" May asked, coyly, with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

Drew then blushed, if it was possible for a Politoed to do so, and then he sheepishly nodded, before noticing something.

"Why are those spiked rocks moving?" Drew asked.

Seeing what Drew was referring to, May said, "Uh-oh… Um, Drew… those aren't spiked rocks…"

As the "rocks" closed in, the one Drew and May were standing on moved a bit, and then behind them, came the head of a Feraligatr.

The Feraligatr then said, "I call the green one!"

Soon, all of the other Feraligatr attacked, and then started snapping at one another, hoping to eat either Drew or May.

May had managed to get under the water, and she swam silently to the other side. She found an empty tree, and swam through the roots' opening. She looked out of the "window" of the tree, and saw the Feraligatr were still biting at each other, and shouting.

"Hey, May! Down here," Drew said. May looked down and saw Drew with his back against the tree. "Lower the vine! Please!"

"Not gonna happen! Find your own hiding spot!" May said, upset.

Soon, the Feraligatr noticed Drew, and then started coming at him. Drew, in desperation, then begged to May, "Please! Help me get out of this, and I promise to help you get your Gym fixed!"

May nodded, and then lowered the vine to Drew, who clambered up to the hole in the tree, just narrowly escaping the jaws of the lead Feraligatr.

"You can hop, but hiding, you can't!" Feraligatr shouted.

"We've got all night!" Another one said.

"Well, May," Drew said, putting on his suave look again. "Looks like we're going to be spending the night in here. How about getting a little more… cozy?"

May then slammed Drew's stomach with one of her hands, and then said, "Don't even _think_ about it!"

"Ouch…" Drew groaned, as he rubbed his stomach.

* * *

**Well, that's that for this chapter. But before I cut things off here, I have a request, and a bit of a big one...**

**For anyone who has either Pokémon X or Pokémon Y version, I need your help! Here's the deal: I really, _REALLY,_ _REALLY_, want a Meadow pattern Vivillon. If you don't know what it looks like, look on the bulbapedia, and look up Vivillon, it's the official artwork. However, there's a catch: the pattern of a Vivillon's wings depends on the location of your 3DS's region settings. The only places that I've seen reports of Meadow Vivillon being raised are in France, Germany, Switzerland, the UK, Italy, Japan, and Luxembourg. The problem here is that I can't set any of those countries on my 3DS, so the only option I have is trial and error tests with other countries or possibly breeding. Another issue with that is that I don't know WHICH patterns to breed or trade so I can get myself a pink Vivillon. **

**So, I have three options: 1.: Asking around for anyone in the United States who actually raised and evolved a Scatterbug INTO a Meadow Vivillon, and having them tell me the Gender and ability of their Vivillon, and WHICH STATE in the United States that they got it in, and I also want to know all other circumstances of where in the game-universe, what time of day, what season, etc., in which their Meadow Vivillon was evolved so I can recreate the exact same circumstances in my games so I can get the Vivillon I want.**

**Option 2: Trade. The problem is, it requires Wi-Fi connection, and I don't have the codes (or parental backing) for such things, and I feel like trading Pokémon is equivalent to abandoning them, unless the ones trading have a legit reason for it. **

**You know, like when Ash and Dawn traded Aipom and Buizel in the episode "Throwing the Track Switch" from the Diamond and Pearl Pokémon saga. The reason for their trade was perfectly legit to me**

**Option 3: Breeding. I WILL need some guidance with this one. I don't breed Pokémon in my game that often, because I'm ending up with too many eggs, and my Pokémon are too highly-leveled up at that point for them to catch up. I will need to know WHICH Vivillon patterns to breed, which gender each pattern should be, where they came from, etc., so I can get the pink Vivillon I so desperately want! **

**So, for all Pokémon X and Y players: PLEASE HELP ME! To let me know your experience with Meadow Vivillon, either PM me or send a review in this story. **

**Hope to hear from you, soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's the next chapter. Now, this is a pretty big hunk, that I understand, but still, just go with me on it, okay? So, we're going to get some ****introduction to our 'Louis' and 'Ray', and we'll also see how Butch's proposal to Dawn will play out. Let's just say Dawn's not going to be portrayed as Charlotte in full. We're going to see some BIG differences.**

* * *

The next morning, Drew was sleeping inside the trunk, and was using a giant leaf he found as a blanket. However, through the hole in the tree, a Grotle nut flew in and hit Drew on the head.

"Up and at em'! The Feraligatr are gone!" May shouted, while Drew looked out of the hole to see that May had built a raft. She was putting the finishing touches on the raft, and then took off a branch to paddle with. "We've got to get back to Petalburg and break this curse we _both_ brought upon ourselves!"

Drew then hopped onto the raft from their hiding place, took up a leaf to use as a Poké Flute, and then said, "I wasn't the one wearing a false crown."

"But _I_ wasn't the one messing around with witchcraft." May remarked, smartly.

Drew ignored this, and he started playing his "Poké Flute" while May did the paddling, and then he said, "This is just for you to paddle by."

"Think you could help me out over here?" May said, annoyed, as she was putting in a lot of effort to row the raft, but was not having much luck.

Drew hesitated for a second, and then just kept playing as he said, "I'll just play a bit louder."

However, unknown to either of them, a pair of eyes came up from out of the water behind them, and started closing in on them.

"Hey, less playing, more…" May was about to demand, when she put on a face of fear when she saw their pursuer.

Drew noticed the Feraligatr open its mouth and come at them, causing both May and Drew to run at each other and hug one another for dear life, only for the Feraligatr to come out of the water and say, "I know that song! "No Friends Blues"!"

As Drew and May were hanging on to each other, the Feraligatr, who took out a trumpet from out of nowhere, started playing the song. Seeing as how the larger Pokémon had no intention of harming them, Drew then let go of May, with a smile, causing May to fall on her back, and then he said, "Play it!"

Taking out his Poké Flute, Drew started playing along with the Feraligatr, while May silently erected herself, looking at the two musical Pokémon in annoyance.

After the Feraligatr and Drew finished up their number, Drew started dancing with Feraligatr, who said, "Hey, where've you been all my life?"

"How did you learn to play like that?" Drew asked.

"Well, Petalburg Swamp is the top jazz school in the world," Feraligatr said. "Oh, what Barry wouldn't give to be jamming up there with the superstars."

"What's stopping you?" Drew asked.

"There was one time that I tried… Let's just say I've never seen so many Poké Balls at once before." Barry said.

Drew then sweat dropped; he caught on to what Barry meant.

Ay then jumped in, and said, "Well, it's been very nice to meet you, um, Barry, and thanks for not eating us, but we have to be on our way."

"Where are you heading off to?" Barry asked, as May went back to paddling the raft.

"To find someone to help us break this curse." May said, bluntly.

"What kind of curse are you talking about?" Barry asked.

"Hold on to your back scales," Drew said. "We're actually humans, not Politoed."

Hearing this, Barry just started rolling around on his back in laughter before asking, "You're not kidding?"

"My name is Drew. Prince Drew of LaRousse," Drew said, taking a regal bow. He then gestured to May. "And this is May, the Coordinator."

Drew then whispered, "Don't kiss her; seriously."

May overheard this, and a vein popped. She then threw her paddle at Drew's head, and then said, "I heard that, you rich brat! _I'M _not the one who caused this problem!"

"What are you talking about?" Barry inquired.

May then went over to Barry, and said, "Oh, I'll tell you! This moron got himself changed into a Politoed by a witchcraft man, and now…"

"_WITCHCRAFT?!_" Barry said, as he soon froze up and started looking around, nervous. "Like the kind Iris would do?"

"Who?" Drew asked.

"Iris! She's the witchcraft queen of the swamp! She's got all kind of magic, voodoo… All kind of dark magic!" Barry explained.

"Could you bring us over to her?" May and Drew said, simultaneously.

"Are you serious?! Go through the deepest, darkest part of the swamp, with poachers rampant, other Feraligatr around, and burr bushes?!... No way." Barry said, as he then leaned against a tree and began playing his trumpet again.

May hung her head in defeat, but Drew pat her back, and then he said, "Watch this."

Drew then leaned against the same tree, and said, "Well, Barry, it's too bad that we can't help you. Maybe if you were… shorter… No large teeth or jaws… You could play jazz to adoring crowds without giving them the impression you want to be caught."

Hearing this, Barry stopped playing abruptly, and then Drew said, "Too bad. Enjoy your solitude pal. See you later!"

Drew then went back to May, who rolled her eyes, and said, "Cute, but I highly doubt…"

However, Drew held up his pointer finger, and then pointed to his side. As if on cue, Barry asked them, "Hey, I just had an idea! What if I ask Iris to turn _me_ into a human!"

"You're a genius, Barry!" Drew said, as he and May hopped atop Barry's head.

"Woo-hoo!" Barry said, as he then splashed into the water.

Soon, as Barry then rose up out of the water, swimming, he started playing his trumpet.

_"If I were a human being, I'd head for Petalburg City! And I'd blow this horn so hard and strong, like no one has ever seen!" _Barry sang to his new Politoed friends.

He then wiped his face with a wet leaf, singing, _"You've heard of Louis Armstrong."_

Drew was on a rock, watching, while May just climbed out of the water, annoyed, while Barry sang, _"Mr. Sidney Bechet?"_

Barry started dancing a little bit, before singing, _"All those boys are gonna step aside, when they hear this ex-Feraligatr play, listen…" _

Barry started playing his trumpet, and then May and Drew were enjoying the music, but as Barry did a trick by spinning on a branch, he fell into the water on top of his new friends.

Literally rising out of the water, with May and Drew atop his head, Barry sang, _"When I'm human, as I hope to be…" _

He then started to use a Torkoal, still in its shell, as a hat that he used to do a mini jig while singing, _"I'm gonna blow this horn 'till the Miltank come home, and everyone's going to bow down to me!" _

Barry bowed, throwing the Torkoal onto the branch. Its head came out, only for Barry to literally play the horn in its face.

Playing a makeshift Poké Flute, Drew sang, _"When I'm myself again, I want just the life I had!" _

He took some petals from flowers above, and spread them around, singing, _"A great big party every night! That doesn't sound too bad." _

May just groaned at this, knowing in the back of her mind that was probably what caused Drew to get into their situation to begin with.

_"A Butterfree on my left arm," _Drew said, and a Butterfree appeared on his left. _"A Venomoth on my right." _

As if on cue, a Venomoth appeared on his right. Soon, several Vivillon appeared on the sides, and Drew sang, _"A Vivillon or two to hold the candles! Now that seems just about right, eh, Barry!" _

The butterfly Pokémon then tossed Drew up in the air, and he sang, _"Life is short, when you're done, you're done! We're on this earth to have some fun, and that's the way things are!" _

"Sing it, brother!" Barry sang.

_"When I'm human, and I'm gonna be!" _Drew sang, as May hung on to Barry's tail, while he was marching and playing his trumpet.

Drew then danced a little, and was surrounded by the Bug Pokémon, while singing, _"I'm gonna tear it up, like I did before, and that's the royal guarantee!" _

"_YOU,_" May said, chasing away to the girls. "Are going to try and get married to Dawn!"

"Oh, right…" Drew said, forgetting. "I guess I'll have to leave those poor girls with broken hearts."

May took away Drew's Poké Flute, and gave him a paddle to start rowing with, and then she started to sing, _"Your modesty becomes you, and your sense of responsibility. I've worked off my butt for everything I've got!"_

Drew merely started drumming with the stick he was given, while May sang, _"And that's the way it's supposed to be!" _

As she was rowing, May sang, _"When I'm a human being, at least I'll ACT like one!" _

She noticed all of the rocks and trees sticking out in the water, and then as May rowed around all of the obstacles, she sang, _"If you do your best each and every day, good things are sure to come your way! What you give is what you get! My daddy said that, and I'll never forget! And I commend it to you."_

However, behind her, Drew was drumming on his head with the stick he broke, much to May's annoyance.

_"When we're human, and we're gonna be!" _The trio sang.

_"I'm gonna blow my horn!" _Barry sang, as he did a trumpet solo.

_"I'm gonna live the high life!" _Drew said, playing his flute.

_"I'm gonna do my best to take my place in the sun…" _May said, as a shadow cast over her and then the motion suddenly stopped.

Barry had gotten stuck in a tree hole, and May used a feather to get him to sneeze, while she and Drew were singing, _"When we're human…"_

The sneeze's force literally blew them out so hard they were skipping across the water before making a large splash.

Meanwhile, at Dawn's villa, she was having some Miltank Milk with "Prince Drew" in the house's garden. Dawn was not really happy with the situation; she kept sneaking glances at Kenny, who, for some odd reason, was still wearing his mask, and insisted on staying at the villa to keep close to Dawn. She blushed, and then she turned her attention back to "Drew".

"Um… Prince Drew, your highness, I am terribly sorry about last night's Politoed incident." Dawn said, sincerely.

"It's no problem at all, Miss Dawn," "Drew" said. "When you're next in line for the throne, you need to be as poised as a Liepard, ready for the most unlikely and unexpected to happen."

"Drew" then leaned in to Dawn and wiggled his eyebrows seductively, while grinning, causing Dawn to sweat drop. However, his left ear grew in size, and Dawn, noticing this said, "Um… Your ear…"

Touching it, "Drew" then panicked a little bit. He ducked under the table and then looked at the talisman he was hiding, and saw that the blood was draining out from the grooves.

Butch sat back up, and covered his ear while pretending to swat at flies, and he said, "Ah… Hehehehe… Those insects…"

Dawn merely looked at "Prince Drew" with suspicion, and then soon, she was dragged up from her seat and then Butch pulled Dawn close to him.

"Mademoiselle Dawn, I can't ignore my beating heart…" Butch said, but soon, his butt inflated in back. He looked at it, and got nervous. "Anymore…"

Dawn was curious to see what was in back, kept moving around Dawn to distract her, and said, "Although our time together has been quite brief, it's been pure bliss."

"Um… Thanks." Dawn said, as she was soon dipped down.

She then got back up, and brushed herself off. However, her hat covered her face, just as Butch's facial shape turned back to normal, nose, and cheeks, and all.

"However, where are you…?" Dawn began, but…

Butch then tried covering up his face by hugging Dawn by her legs, and asked, "Will you make me the happiest man alive by becoming _Princess_ of LaRousse?"

Dawn turned green at the thought, and as Butch soon retreated to try covering up his face with his shirt, Dawn asked, "You're serious?"

"As serious as malaria." Butch said.

"… No." Dawn said, crossing her arms.

"What?!" Butch asked.

"I've got my heart set on someone else. Besides, you're just too… regal for my taste. That, and you always seem to have this air of arrogance around you that I just don't take kindly to." Dawn said, as she turned her attention to Kenny, who was reading a book on a bench nearby.

"Ridiculous!" Butch said, just as his height increased. "You're refusing the position of a princess?"

"Look, I'm not the kind of girl who dreams of living a fairytale love story." Dawn said.

"Never in my life have I met a girl with such tastes! Think of the fame, the fortune!" Butch said.

"I'm wealthy enough as it is, and last time I checked, weren't you financially cut off by your parents?" Dawn inquired.

Butch recoiled; even Dawn knew the secret of "Prince Drew".

"Look, wealth isn't the issue here! I really have my heart set on you! I won't leave this estate until you agree!" Butch said.

"Then I hope you enjoy living here forever." Dawn said, as she started to leave.

"Want me to tell everyone back in LaRousse how _you_ allowed wild Politoed to ruin the party?" Butch said.

"Beg your pardon?! I don't remember ever asking any Politoed to come and liven things up!" Dawn shot back, clearly upset.

"Then if you don't want me spreading rumors…" Butch said, as he took out a ring. "Will you have me?"

"I thought I already said 'no'!" Dawn said, walking away.

Butch groaned, and said, "You _will_ marry me! Or I'm going to make sure your life is ruined."

"Fine! Okay, fine! I'll tie the knot with you, alright?! Just let me be!" Dawn shouted, as she ran off in tears.

Kenny overheard the whole thing, and felt horrible for two reasons. The first was that he cared about Dawn, too, and the second being that she was getting married to someone she hated, and because she was pestered in to it. He wanted to help…

He sadly walked away, depressed at the situation, but knew that Dawn did not say 'yes' because she honestly wanted to.

However, just as Kenny left, Harley came out of nowhere, and grabbed the talisman.

"NO!" Harley growled, as the blood ran out. Immediately, Butch was completely turned back to normal.

"Now what are we gonna do?!" Butch asked.

"Because someone let our Politoed Prince go, Biffy, I've no choice but to get assistance from my friends on the other side…" Harley said, albeit he sounded like he knew he would get into trouble.

Back in the swamp, Barry, May, and Drew were talking about their goals in life.

"So, these Contests you're going to be competing in, will they have every Pokémon you have on hand featured in them?" Barry asked.

"My Beautifly, Blaziken, those Contests will feature them all!" May said, hugging her knees in delight.

Drew's stomach growled, and then he said, "Man, now I'm hungry. All of this insanity, and I totally forgot to eat something."

However, a few Yanma soon flew by, and then Drew looked at them. However, he felt his tongue come out of his mouth once, and then he said, "That's strange…"

Drew then hopped into the water. May inquired, "What are you up to?"

"Quiet! You're scaring off the snack…" Drew said, as he shot his tongue at some of the Yanma, only to miss and tie himself in his own tongue. "Man, this certainly isn't easy."

Drew then got back up again, and then tried to get a Yanma again, only for him to unintentionally wrap his tongue around a tree branch, and then it pulled back on Drew's face, causing him to have the branch in its mouth.

May started laughing, when a Volbeat flew by her and then landed on a nearby dandelion, and started looking at the moon.

May's Politoed instincts kicked in again, and then her tongue came out of her mouth, too. She soon got scared, and said, "Oh, no! No, no, no! There is _no way_ in heck, I am kissing a Politoed, and eating a Bug Pokémon, all in the same day!"

However, her tongue snapped out again, and then, against her will, May started going closer and closer to the Volbeat. Drew got the stick out of his mouth and then started going after the Volbeat too.

Once both Politoed were close to it, they both shot their tongues at the same time, only for the Volbeat to dodge it, and then for the tongues to be tied up; literally.

The tension then pulled both May and Drew together, causing their mouths to smack together. They then fell into the water, and then they both got up, playing a bit of tug-o-war with their tongues, both trying to get out of their situation.

"Hey, did you guys find any fo… Oh, dear…" Barry said, but then saw the situation his friends were in. "Don't worry, I can help!"

Barry then got started trying to untangle the tongues, but only worsened it, to the point that they were literally tied up to each other, their tongues wrapped around them.

Barry then said, "This needs a stick! Be back in a sec!"

Barry than ran off into the brush to try and find something to untie his friends.

"This is all because of you!" May said, upset.

"My fault, huh?!" Drew retorted, albeit both Politoed were talking nasally due to their tongues being tied up.

Soon, the Volbeat came down, and then said, "Hey, what's going on? Oh, look here."

He then circled the two Politoed and then said, "Oh, girl, looks like you and your man here went a bit overboard, am I right?"

"That's ridiculous!" Drew said.

"What do you mean 'my man'?! He's not my boyfriend or anything like that!" May protested.

"I'm the Prince of LaRousse!" Drew said, as the Volbeat flew up and looked at the knots.

"So I see…" The Volbeat said. "Let me shed a little light on your little problem."

He then grunted and soon his taillight came on, before said, "Perfect!"

As he flew over the Politoed, they closed their eyes in minor pain, as the bright light came out of nowhere.

"Don't worry, little lady. I won't explode, so trust me. I'm not an Electrode! All I have is my taillight! Girls love a guy with a bright light!" The Volbeat said, as he showed off his light.

Examining the knot, the Volbeat then said, "You really tied this good…"

He then dove in, and then after rattling around a bit, the Volbeat came back out, with a free tongue, and then yanked it, causing the two Politoed to be unraveled and then they fell into the water, on their backs.

"Whew… Thanks, um…" May said, but since she did not know the Volbeat's name, she stumbled on her words.

"Oh, where are my manners? My name's Brock! I don't recognize you two; new around here?" The Volbeat said.

"No joke," Drew said, getting up. "We're from somewhere _very very far off._"

"You're kidding! Are you two from Fortree City?" Brock asked.

"No…" Drew said. "We're actually humans."

"Yeah, Mr. so-called "Prince Charming" here made the big mistake of messing around with a witchcraft witch doctor." May explained to Brock.

"Well, there you go." Brock said.

"We were just on our way to Iris, because maybe she could…" May began, but…

"Whoa, hold on. Iris?" Brock asked.

May nodded.

"You're going the wrong way," Brock said. "What kind of Grotle nut-head told you guys to go this way?"

Barry then came out of the bushes, frightening Brock, and then he shouted, "I found one!"

May crossed her arms and then she said, "Barry… Brock here says you've been bringing us in the wrong direction."

"Well… I got confused with the topography, geography…" Barry said, trying to make an excuse for his lack of directional sense.

"First rule of the swamp: never take directions from a Feraligatr." Brock said, before whistling.

Many taillights from several Volbeat and Illumise started to light up, and then Brock said, "Don't worry; we'll help you get to Iris!"

"Wow…" Drew said, as he and May were admiring all of the lights from Brock's family.

"Hey, Forrest!" Brock said, as he woke up some of his friends. "Ready to get some music going?"

"Ready when you are!" Forrest said, as he got some makeshift instruments ready, and the playing started.

"Ready, let's get started, Suzy!" Brock said, as he got out an accordion and started to play.

The rest of the Volbeat and Illumise were then gathering together, and their lights were forming a beautiful trail of sparkling lights.

"Come on, now! Just follow the bouncing taillights!" Brock said, as he started off the number.

_"We're gonna take you there, we're gonna take you there, we're gonna take you all the way down!" _Brock sang, as he followed the path of lights his family had created.

May hopped after the Firefly Pokémon, but Drew was still dancing, so May pulled him away by the wrist to get him to start moving, while Barry was dancing to the beat of the Volbeat and Illumise.

_"We're gonna take you there, we're going to take you there, we're gonna take you all the way!" _

As the Firefly Pokémon were going through the mangrove roots, May and Drew were following them by hopping on the lily pads, and then through a log. Barry tried following them through there, too, but his head got stuck, and then continued dancing with the Firefly Pokémon as they kept going.

_"Going down the bayou, going down the bayou, going down the bayou, taking you all the way!" _

As all of the Illumise and Volbeat were dancing and moving while helping guide the way, Brock said, _"We got the whole family!" _

He pointed out two Illumise, and one Volbeat, and then Brock sang, _"There goes Mimi, cousin Pudro. Hey, Grandma, your light's out!"_

The older Illumise then clapped her hands and her taillight came back on.

_"We're all gon' pull together. Down here, that's how we do." _Brock sang, only to see that May and Drew were quite literally in the dark. _"Me for them, and them for me, we'll all be there for you!"_

He whistled again, and more Firefly Pokémon lit up their lights. May and Drew then started hopping happily, following their friends.

_"We're gonna take you, we're gonna take you, we're gonna take you all the way down."_

As the Politoed duo kept hopping, Barry sped ahead, as if on a jet ski, but then he sank when the area got dark.

_"We know where you're going, and we're going with you. Taking you all the way!" _Brock sang.

As the Pokémon then led the way with the lights by lighting up dew on the dandelions, while Drew and May followed them, and then Barry fell on top of several of the Volbeat and Illumise, and then his body was covered in lights as if he were wearing Hawaiian clothing, and then they all flew up in a spiral.

_"Going down the bayou, going down the bayou, going down the bayou, taking you all…" _

The Firefly Pokémon then exploded with each other, as if they were fireworks.

_"Yeah, you know!" _

As Brock led his family onwards, he sang, _"Come on, everyone! Keep that line flowing, and those lights a'glowing!" _

The Firefly Pokémon then led Barry, with both May and Drew on top of him, through the bayou.

* * *

**That's that for this chapter. Okay, for those of you who have read the last chapter, I hope you all heard (or rather, read) my plea for a pink Vivillon and how to obtain one. Please help me with that, okay?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's the next chapter of The Princess And The Politoed! I hope you all like it! And for those of you who have read previous chapters of both this story, and my ContestShipping One-shot series, you all know that I'm on the (EXCEEDINGLY DESPERATE) hunt to find a way to raise a Meadow Pattern Vivillon. I also hope those of you who know how to get one will help me!**

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Harley's place, he was talking to the masks on the wall in his shop.

"Friends…" Harley said, nervously. He had his hat off. "I know I'm in pretty deep in debt to you guys already… But it seems our little Politoed Prince… _lost his way_… And I need your help getting him back."

The masks merely growled at Harley. However, it seemed that he knew what they were saying, and then while putting his hat back on, Harley told them, "I hear you; what's in it for you?"

He took out a pin and a voodoo doll of Johanna, and then he said, "Well, once I get rid of Johanna Berlitz…"

He then used his magic to conjure up an image of Petalburg, and then did a swipe to pick the whole thing up, and showed his mask friends the city within his hand, while saying, "And _I'm_ running this town, I'll have the entire city of Petalburg, in the _palm_ of my hand."

He then looked at the people walking around the city, while saying, "And _you_, my friends, will have all the souls your wicked hearts desire."

Harley blew the image into the masks, which inhaled them, and smiled evilly, and then Harley said, "So, that appeals to you, huh?

He dusted his hands off, and then said, "So, we have a deal?"

The mask in the center looked to his sides, and got approving growls from his 'friends', and then the center mask opened its jaw, and through the gaps in the teeth, many shadow beings rose up on the walls, and then Harley laughed happily.

"NOW we're on a roll! We're going to find ourselves a Politoed!" Harley said. "Search all over the place! The swamp, the city… But bring him to me alive and well! I need his heart accelerating… For the time being."

He then stamped his cane on the ground, and then the shadows all started to disperse, and they were all moving around on the walls, going everywhere, trying to find Drew. A few shadows then went into the water to go through the swamp.

* * *

Meanwhile, May, Drew, Barry, and Brock were all waving farewell to the Illumise and Volbeat who guided them.

"See you later!" May said, as she and Drew started hopping.

"Don't forget to tell little Tilly I said 'Hello'!" Brock called back.

"Your girlfriend?" May asked.

"Oh, no, no, no, no!" Brock said. "My girl… That's Solidad."

"Solidad?" May asked.

"She's the brightest, sweetest Illumise that ever glowed in the night sky," Brock said, before giving a light squeal. "I talk to her around every night. But she doesn't really say much."

However, Brock then flew behind a heart-shaped leaf, and then his light came on, which lit up the leaf, and then he said, "But I know in my heart, someday, we'll be together."

"That's so sweet!" May said, smiling.

"Very sweet," Drew said, a little rushed. "But just don't settle down so fast, my friend. There are other Illumise around here."

May picked up some wood and started angrily beating down some burr bush branches to clear a path, as well as giving Drew a dirty look.

"What?" Drew asked. "I'm only saying…"

Barry then got a burr in his finger, and then he said, "Ack! Pricker bush's got me! Feraligatr down! Feraligatr down!"

Brock just hovered in mild annoyance, and then Barry said, "The darkness… I'm cold…"

"Will you hold still, you big Baby Pokémon?" Brock said, as he came closer, while the scene panned to somewhere in the foliage.

**_"AAAHHH_**!" Barry screamed.

"I didn't even touch it, yet." Brock said.

Meanwhile, three poachers came up, while still hiding in the bushes.

"Look at those two jumpers," The one on the left of the trio said, as he saw Drew and May hopping along while in the bush. "Oh, a Shiny one, too! That will really ring up some cash on the black market!"

"I'll bet they'll really make us rich!" The taller one in the middle said, albeit loudly.

The older one on the left then smacked the one in the middle on the head, saying, "Would you be quiet?!"

"Ow." The one in the middle said.

The poacher on the right only muttered a few things, but apparently, the man on the left said, "I concur! Let's go poach us some Politoed!"

They then ducked underneath the bushes to get started.

Meanwhile, while May was still clearing a path through the bushes, Drew then said, "You know, Coordinator, I've finally figured out what your problem is."

"Okay, one, my name is May, and two, have you really?" May inquired.

"You don't know how to, thus you are incapable, of having fun," Drew said. "There. Someone had to say it."

"Thanks…" May said, as she then pushed back a branch. "But I've found a leak in _your_ system, too!"

"I'm too fabulous?" Drew said.

May deliberately let the branch swing back into Drew's face, knocking him back, and then as she pointed her stick to him, she said, "No. You're a no-account, listless, two-bit womanizer!"

Drew coughed into his fist, "Kill-joy."

"What was that?" May asked, as she knew she heard something.

"Oh, nothing…" Drew said, before coughing, "Stick-in-the-mud."

"Listen here," May said, as she poked Drew in the chest. "This little 'stick-in-the-mud' has been forced to work two jobs a day for her entire life."

She then threw the branch, and then started hopping, with Drew behind her, May then said, "Meanwhile, _YOU'VE_ been sucking on a silver spoon, and chasing maids around your… Your… polished marble tower!"

"Actually, it's ivory." Drew said.

All of a sudden, a net flew in, and grabbed Drew. May gasped as she looked at the situation, and then the older poacher said, "Oh, I got one! You get that Shiny one!"

May knew immediately to run, or rather, hop. She tried hopping away, only for the third of the poachers to grab her by the arm. Getting an idea, May then shot boiling water out of her mouth onto her captor's face, and then while he was screaming in pain, she ran off. However, he recovered and threw nets at her, but she dodged barely, and then hopped away in fright.

Back with Barry and Brock, Brock had just gotten the burr out of Barry's finger. Barry sighed in relief, only to see the poaching nets in the nearby rowboat, and then he shouted, "Poachers!"

He then jumped and hid in the burr bush again, and then he screamed in pain, much to Brock's annoyance.

However, Brock saw that Drew was trapped in a cage that the poacher had put him in, and then in shock, Brock flew to the rescue.

"A Volbeat's gotta do what a Volbeat's gotta do!" Brock shouted. He then started attacking the poacher with several Tackles, Signal Beams, etc., and the reaction caused the poacher to accidentally throw Drew back into the water. Brock kept attacking, only for the poacher to throw him back onto a rock, and in pain, Brock fell back into the water.

"Ow…" Brock groaned.

May, meanwhile, was frantically running away from the poachers. As the larger one came after her from in front, the other one came at her from the back. She jumped, dodged the two poachers, and landed on a log, only for the poachers to land on the other side, and it catapulted her into the cage.

"Oh, we got one!" The tallest poacher said, as he put the cage onto the boat, and then the poacher who only muttered sat on top of the cage, and banged it to get May to settle down.

"What happened to yours?" The tallest poacher said.

"Shut it. It doesn't matter; we have a Shiny Politoed." The leader said, as he started to row the boat.

Drew rose out of the water, and cheered. He started celebrating, but he soon stopped in his tracks when he noticed May was still in the cage, in trouble. Panicking a little bit, Drew then used his tongue to water-ski all the way to the boat. However, he crashed.

"Did you hear that slam?" The tallest of the poachers asked.

"Yeah, I did." The poachers' leader said, as he took off his hat and tried to scratch his head; Drew was atop his head, and moved hair around to fool the poacher.

May was on the verge of laughing, but Drew put a finger to his lips to get her to keep quiet.

The other two poachers were staring, and then the leader asked, "What are you two staring at?"

All of a sudden, one of the poachers started hitting their leader on the head as Drew started to jump up and down, causing May to stifle her laughter. Soon, the cage's lid opened up, and Drew muttered, "Go! Now!"

May hopped out of the cage, and then they both landed on one of the poacher's feet.

"Check this out!" Drew said, before croaking loudly, and catching the attention of the taller poacher.

Drew and May jumped out of the way and landed on the other poacher's head, just as he stepped on the foot of his friend.

May then used Scald on the other poacher, and then the two Politoed then started hopping around and dodging, causing everyone to either hit themselves, or each other, while May and Drew were playing around.

Soon, every poacher was on the floor of the boat, and then May and Drew took each other hands and then they hopped out.

"These two… Aren't like any Politoed I've ever seen… They're smart." The lead poacher said.

May and Drew then landed in front of them, and May surprised them by saying, "And we talk, too!"

This freaked the poachers out, and then they started making a beeline out of the swamp while May and Drew hopped out of the boat with ease.

Back with Barry and Brock, Barry used a reed to give Brock some CPR, and then after Brock was breathing again, Barry asked, "You okay, Brock?"

"I'll be fine, if your breath doesn't kill me first." Brock said, before waving a hand in front of his face.

"Do you mind?" Barry asked, pointing to a burr on his stomach.

"No problem." Brock said, as he took off the burr.

"Thanks," Barry said, before turning around and showing Brock the large amount of burrs in his rear end. "Now about the other side, please?"

Brock just groaned.

Meanwhile, Drew and May were walking back to Brock and the others. Drew was cracking up at the joke May made to the poachers.

"Hahaha! 'And we talk, too'! Ha! I like that," Drew said, getting a laugh out of May. "I had no idea you had a funny side."

"So I'm _not_ a stick-in-the-mud?" May said, smartly.

"Well, it was good…" Drew said.

"Say it." May said.

"Um…" Drew said.

"Say it…" May teased.

"You're not a complete…" Drew said, struggling to admit it.

"I can't hear you!" May said.

"Okay, you're not a complete stick _deep_ in the mud." Drew said.

"Ow!" Barry said. "Easy… Easy!"

"That's one's deep in there, isn't it? Hold on…" Brock said, and then pulled out another burr.

"OW!" Barry shouted.

"I know we have to get to Iris ASAP, May, but it seems that this little operation is going to take quite a while." Brock said.

"Sheesh…" May said.

"You know what would make me feel better? Sitrus Berries, with an Aspear Berry marmalade – OW! Or maybe Belue Berry sandwiches with Tomato Berry sau – MERCY!" Barry shouted, screaming in pain with each burr being taken out, and interrupting him.

"How about some Swamp-style Poffins?" May said, as she took a Liechi berry from a tree and knocked on it.

"Perfect!" Barry said, before screaming in pain from another burr being removed.

"That sounds delicious!" Drew said, as he sat down. "I'll start off with a pre-dinner Pecha Berry juice, and something to munch on while I wait. Thanks."

However, May yanked Drew up on his feet, and then said, "Oh, no you don't! _YOU _are going to chop these Watmel berries."

She then shoved a Watmel berry into Drew's hands, and then gave him a rock that was shaped as if it were a blade, thus making a makeshift knife.

"Do _what?_" Drew asked.

"Chop the berries," May said, as she hopped up a tree. "Hop to it!"

She then climbed the trunk of the tree, and into the leaves.

"This is ridiculous…" Drew said.

"You chopping?" May called down.

"Okay!" Drew said. "Chill out…"

Drew merely poked the berry with tip of the "knife" for a few seconds, but was still clueless as to what he was being asked to do.

May was picking some Kebia berries to use as molds for the Poffins, and she gathered more Razz, Bluk, and Pinap berries for her recipe.

Drew had managed to start cutting the berries right, but he was still struggling, so it was going pretty slow. He wiped some sweat from his brow and then continued to cut a piece of Watmel berry.

"Phew…" Drew said.

He then looked behind him to see that May had conjured up a pot with cold water to start making the Poffin mix, and used some flints to start a fire to get cooking. She used a pumpkin she found as the pot after hollowing it out, and used some of her Water Gun water to fill it up; she felt the water from the swamp would not be sanitary for the project.

"Stand aside," May said, as she took the knife from Drew. "Watch and learn."

She then sliced the berries up so quickly and so wonderfully that it was almost as if she had done it in a blink of an eye.

"Wow." Drew said, impressed.

May picked up another Watmel berry for Drew to cut, and then she got behind him and started to help him cut the berry before saying, "There."

"I'll be honest; this is the first time I've done something like this." Drew admitted.

"Oh, really?" May said, skeptical of the idea, as she went to put the berry pieces into the "pot".

"Well, when you live in a castle, everything, other than royal duties, is done _for you_. 24/7. Servants, maids, etc… They dress you, feed you, drive you, but obviously, they leave us alone where our hygiene is concerned; I can clean myself up." Drew said, in his defense.

"Poor Baby Pokémon." May said, teasing.

"I admit that the life was really nice, and charmed… But when my parents cut me off, I realized that I don't know how to do _anything_." Drew admitted.

May then grew sympathetic towards Drew, and came over to him to get the berry pieces. She then gave Drew some Pinap berries to cut while saying, "You've got the makings of a good Poffin Chef, with the way you cut these berries."

Drew smiled, and then May put the berry pieces into the pot and started to stir a little bit.

"I do?" Drew said.

May nodded, and said, "Keep practicing, and I think you'll even best _me_ in making Poké Block and Poffins."

"Really?" Drew asked, happy.

"No." May said, and then the two started laughing.

"Oh, come on! That was low!" Drew said, laughing.

Meanwhile, one of the shadows soon found traces of the balloons that May and Drew were hanging on. It then hollered a screech of sorts, summoning more shadows, and then they followed the trail.

Back with May and the gang, they were eating their Poffins, which, despite their minor misshapenness, were fabulous.

Brock was telling a story, and everyone was laughing happily, and as soon as Brock finished, May then laughed, and while still over the platter of Poffins she had made, she asked, "Anyone want more?"

"That was the most delicious thing I've ever tasted!" Drew said, as he came to get more Poffins. "You really have a gift."

May soon got nostalgic; she remembered the times that her now dead father, Norman, would say the exact same thing about her Poffins, and her cooking in general.

"Thanks." May said, as she gave Drew another "platter-full" of Poffins.

However, the two Politoed heard gasps, and then Brock started flying while saying, "There she is… The sweetest Illumise in the world."

"Solidad's here?" May said, as she and Drew hopped on a lily pad in the water.

"I want to meet her! Where is she?" Barry asked, as he devoured the last of the Poffins.

"How can you miss her? She's right up there." Brock said, as he flew towards… The Evening Star.

May and Drew just looked at each other. They were expecting an Illumise, but it turned out Brock was infatuated with a star.

_"Look how she lights up the sky,"_ Brock sang, tracing a heart around the star, as May looked up in surprise. _"Ma belle, sweet Solidad."_

"That's no Ill…" Barry was about to say, but then Drew threw his "plate" at the Feraligatr's head, and then put a finger to his lips to quiet him down.

"Don't ruin it for him!" Drew whispered, heatedly.

_"So far above me, yet I…" _Brock sang, as Drew and May looked at each other, with Drew shrugging.

Brock then used his light and traced a heart and his initials with "Solidad's" on a nearby tree trunk, while singing, _"Know her heart belongs to only me." _

_"Je t'ador, je t'aime, oh_ _Solidad." _Brock sang, as Drew said, "I adore you. I love you" to May.

"Beg your pardon?" May asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'm only translating!" Drew said, catching his tongue-slip.

"I know French…" May said, with an irritated sigh.

_"You're my queen of the night," _Drew said, as he kissed the water where "Solidad's" reflection was, which caused heart-shaped ripples in the water. _"So still, so bright." _

As the ripples continued, the water's reflection showed Drew and May, with Drew looking at May with an almost-lovestruck smile.

_"Someone as beautiful as she," _Brock sang.

He stood up, and then took May's hand, and then got into position, preparing for a dance.

_"Who loves someone like me." _Brock said.

"Oh, no, no, no, I don't dance!" May said, as she pulled away.

_"Love always finds away, it's true."_

Drew pulled her back in, insisting, but May pulled away once again, and hopped to another lily pad, before telling Drew, "I've never danced in my whole life."

Drew smiled with sympathy, and then he started to pull the lily pad May was siting on, towards him.

_"And I love you, sweet Solidad." _

As he pulled May towards him, Drew then took May's hand, and getting her into the starting position for a dance, Drew told May, "If _I_ can cut berries, _you_ can learn to dance in an instant."

As some trumpet music played, Drew was leading May in a dance, and May was stumbling a little bit, but she managed to pull herself together for the dance number.

Barry was playing the trumpet, and then Brock used his taillight to light up the orange water lilies in the water, as if they were lights in a dance ball, while Drew and May were dancing.

Drew then hopped into the water, with May, and then the two were water dancing, in a sense. He twirled her in the water, and May was appearing to be doing a lot better under water, and the two kept on dancing, as the light coming from above kept changing colors.

Turned out that Brock was shining his taillight through different colored leaves.

_"Love is beautiful, love is wonderful, love is everything, do you agree? Mais oui!" _

Drew then helped May dance a little bit before taking her by the waist, and springing out of the water by pushing on the water's bottom, and then they landed on another lily pad, and Drew dipped her down.

_"Look how she lights up the sky." _

May then opened up her eyes, with a smile, and the light from the stars just bounced off of May's sapphire orbs and Drew just melted on the inside, as he saw her smile.

_"I love you, sweet Solidad."_

Drew then pulled her up, and as he closed his eyes, he unconsciously puckered up, as if he wanted to kiss May.

May's eyes were wide open, and then she broke the moment by saying, "Dawn's certainly getting herself a great dance partner… If she wants you, that is."

Drew was disappointed to hear this; more than usual, to be fair. May then got out of the embrace, and then she said, "We'd better get going."

May then hopped away. Drew was upset, and then he looked down, sad, and he sat down. However, another shadow grabbed him by the leg, and he screamed.

The shadow started pulling him away, and Drew shouted, "MAY!"

"Drew!" May shouted, as she, Barry, and Brock started to chase him and save Drew.

Drew pulled on a log to keep himself from going on more, and then the shadow pulled again, trying to keep him moving.

However, as the shadows were about to get away, several blasts of fire were shot at all the shadows, causing them to disappear, and then Drew resurfaced, after the shadows were gone.

In the mist, there was a fairly large shadow, and then the group was a little scared at what was approaching them. However, they were relieved to see that the one approaching them was a girl around May and Drew's age, with long, wild, purple hair, dark skin, brown eyes, wearing some kind of shrine maiden clothing.

Beside her were two Pokémon; a Fraxure, and a Dragonite.

"Good work with the Flamethrower on those shadows, Dragonite. Not bad for an exceedingly-young Witchcraft Queen/Dragon Master, huh?" The girl said, as she fed Dragonite some berries.

"Now, which one of you little kids did something stupid, and were messing around with the Cacturne Man?" Iris asked the group, getting a stern look on her face.

Barry immediately pointed to Drew, who smiled sheepishly.

* * *

**That's a wrap for this chapter! I hope you liked it! And I also hope to get help to find myself a pink Vivillon!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's the next chapter! I can't wait to see what you all think about it! Sometimes, I think that I should have titled this "The Princess And The Froakie", and used Froakie instead of Politoed in this story in honor of the release of Pokémon X and Y. And if you all have been keeping up, I'm on the hunt for a Meadow Pattern Vivillon! I really, _really_ want to raise one for myself, not have to trade or something…**

**But anyway, this is the big song number with Iris as Mama Odie, and you know what happens after this, if you've seen the movie! Hope you like it!**

* * *

Iris brought May and the rest of the gang into the tree house she had.

"I'm so glad we finally found you, Iris," May said, as she was walking alongside Iris. "Brock and Barry were telling us all about you; we've traveled a lot, and you won't believe what happened to us…"

"Dragonair!" Iris shouted, seemingly ignoring May.

A Dragonair then rose up out of the built-in pool Iris made, and then she said, "Hahaha! Come here, you bad girl!"

Dragonair then nuzzled Iris's cheek and then Dragonair led Iris to her chair.

"Good to see you again, Brock. How's the family?" Iris asked, as she sat down.

"Oh, the family's wonderful! Mom got in trouble flashing the neighbors again." Brock said.

"That girl's quite spunky, isn't she?" Iris said, as Dragonair pushed the ottoman up to her, and she rested her feet.

"Can we have a moment of your time?" May asked, as she and Drew sat in front of Iris. "We need to…"

"Want some candy?" Iris said, as she handed them some candy.

"Uh, we just ate, and we need your help for…" May began, but…

"Too bad; this candy would have rendered you human." Iris said, as she ate them.

"No, no, no!" May and Drew shouted, but it was too late.

"I'm only kidding around." Iris said, laughing.

"Okay, you've had your fun, now can we please get some…" May was about to say, but…

"Dragonair! Why didn't you tell me my Poffins were burning?!" Iris shouted, as she ran over to a large pot with pinkish-brown liquid inside. "Ugh, I gotta do it all around here…"

"Iris, we really need your he…" May said, as she came up to Iris at the pot.

"Taste this!" Iris said, as she shoved some of the mixture into May's mouth. She tasted it, and then Iris asked, "Well?"

"I recommend turning down the heat, stirring it more, and adding two Razz berries, three Pinap berries, and one Sitrus berry, and then your Dragon-types will thank you." May said.

"Wow… Impressive." Drew said, smiling, with a cocked eyebrow.

"Are you sure this is the right young Dragon Mistress/Witchcraft Queen who lives in a treehouse in the swamp?" Barry asked Brock.

"Last time I checked, yes." Brock replied.

After following May's instructions, and putting the Poffins into the mold, they were ready, and then Iris's Dragon-type Pokémon were eating them up like crazy.

"That's just what the Poffins needed!" Iris said. "Now, down to business: have the two of you figured out what _you_ need?"

"We need to change back into humans." May said.

"Nope, that's not it," Iris said. "You _want_ to be humans again, but the two of you are unaware of what you _need_."

May nodded in understanding, but Drew threw a wrench in by saying, "Want; need, it's all the same, right?"

**_"NO!"_** May and Iris shouted.

"Listen to me, now." Iris said, as she was about to sing.

_"Don't matter what you look like," _Iris sang, as she got one of her Dratini to go around her neck like a scarf. _"It don't matter what you wear." _

She then showed Drew and May the rings on her fingers, but they were mostly decorations, and Iris sang, _"How many rings you have on your fingers. We don't care!" _

_"No, we don't care!" _Many Altaria sang, as they gathered around.

A few were flying overhead around Iris, and then Iris sang, _"Don't matter where you come from. Don't even matter what you are!" _

Iris then used her magic to change her Dragonair into many other Pokémon, as she sang, _"Herdier, Grumpig, Miltank, Gogoat; had em' all in here!" _

_"We had em' all in here!" _The Altaria sang.

As the Altaria were flying overhead, Iris sang, _"And they all knew what they wanted. What they wanted me to do. I told them what they needed, just I be telling you!" _

_"You got a dig a little deeper, find out who you are!" _As Iris was singing, she was also rummaging through a closet, and tossed a tambourine to Barry while shooting some maracas at Brock, and they started playing.

_"You gotta dig a little deeper! It really ain't that far." _Iris said, as she used the pearl on Dragonair's neck as a mirror to show Drew and May.

_"When you find out who you are, you find out what you need." _Iris sang, as Drew and May were looking into the "mirror", May and Drew saw themselves, but Drew was looking more at May than himself, with love in his eyes.

May looked back at Drew, who flinched a little bit, while Iris and the Altaria sang, _"Blue skies and sunshine guaranteed!" _

Iris used one of the Altaria as something of a shovel, and she sang, _"You gotta dig (dig)! You gotta dig (dig)!"_

Drew was dancing, and Iris came up on a stool before singing, _"Prince Froggy was a rich little boy. You wanna be rich again?"_

Drew nodded in response.

_"That won't make you happy now. Did it make you happy then?" _Iris asked, in song.

Drew was about to reply, but Iris interrupted with _"NO!"_

Iris then conjured up gold coins and poured them over Drew, singing, _"Money ain't got no soul, money ain't got no heart."_

Drew was about to drown in cash when Iris picked him up, while singing, _"All you need is some self-control. Make yourself a brand-new start!" _

Dragonair then launched Iris to the other side of the room, while Iris sang, _"You gotta dig a little deeper!"_

Iris then put Drew down while directing Drew's attention elsewhere, and singing, _"You don't have far to go!"_

Drew then saw May dancing with Brock, laughing, and having a good time.

_"Tell the people Iris told you so!" _Iris sang, as Drew dropped the coin in his hand.

Drew smiled with love in his face as he saw May laughing and dancing, while Iris sang, _"Can't tell you what you'll find. Maybe love will grant you peace of mind."_

_"Dig a little deeper, and you'll know." _Iris sang, as she poked Drew in the chest.

May continued to dance, before Iris came up behind her, and asked, _"Miss Politoed?" _

"Yes?" May inquired.

_"Might I have a word?"_ Iris asked, in song.

"Yes, ma'am."May said.

Iristhen lead May to the Poffin Pot, while singing, _"You're a hard one, that's what I heard." _

Snapping her fingers, Iris conjured up an image of when Norman was alive, while singing, _"Your daddy was a loving man. Family, through and through."_

May smiled sadly, as she remembered her deceased father, and Iris sang,_ "You your daddy's daughter. What he had in him, you got in you!" _

_"You gotta dig a little deeper," _Iris sang, as she led May to another part of the room. _"For you, it's gonna be tough."_

_"You gotta dig a little deeper," _Iris sang, as Dragonair cranked a handle, raising the crow's nest up to the roof. _"You ain't dug near far enough!"_

_"Dig down deep inside yourself, you'll find out what you need." _Iris sang, as Drew then hopped to try catching up to them.

_"Blue skies and sunshine, guaranteed!" _Iris sang, as she walked in a dance along the s tree branch, with many transparent, colored bottles hanging up.

The Altaria then cleared away some of the plants and let the light in the area, while Iris sang, _"Open up the window! Let in the light, children!" _

_"Blue skies and sunshine, blue skies and sunshine!" _The Altaria sang, as there was a mini parade with Iris, May, Brock, Barry, and Drew, all walking within them.

_"Blue skies and sunshine!" _May sang, loud and strong, impressing Drew.

_"Guaranteed!" _Iris sang the last line, as the Altaria then posed, pointing their cloud-like wings at her in the center.

"Now, May, do you understand what you need now?" Iris asked.

"Yes, Iris, I do! I need to dig a little deeper, and figure out what I _really_ need in life! Renovating the Gym is only a dream; a desire. So is becoming a Coordinator. What I really _need_ in life… Well, that, I'm just going to have to figure out!" May said.

"Exactly!" Iris said. "You really understood all of that."

May hopped down, and then Drew said, "But still, we need to figure out how to become human again!"

"You're really headstrong about that, aren't you? Well, if you're set on it, there's only one way; follow me." Iris said, as she led the two Politoed downstairs.

Iris was using one of her stirring sticks to agitate the Poffin mixture in the pot.

"Poffins, poffins, in the pot. We need a princess. Whatcha got?" Iris chanted.

The pot then glowed pink for a second, and then finally, it flashed an image of Dawn, sleeping in her canopy bed, but her face was none too happy.

"Dawn? She's not a prin…" May began, but…

"Quiet and watch the Poffins." Iris said.

Johanna then came into Dawn's bedroom, and had a tiara on a silk pillow. Dawn woke up, and then she smiled sadly at her mother.

"I completely forgot; Johanna is the Queen of the Petalburg Festival Parade… So, that, by pure logic, makes Dawn…" May said.

Johanna then put the tiara on Dawn's head, but she still looked a little upset.

"The _PRINCESS_ of the Petalburg Festival!" May said, snapping her fingers in realization.

"Wait a second; a Princess of a celebratory event? Does that even count?" Drew inquired.

"Sure does, but only until midnight tonight, when the Petalburg Festival ends." Iris said.

"Oh, no!" Drew groaned.

"Froggy, you only have until midnight tonight to get Dawn to kiss you," Iris said, as she conjured up an image of Dawn kissing Drew, and turning them back into humans. "Once you do – POOF – you're both back to your human selves."

"Midnight?! That leaves us with hardly any time at all! We'd better get hopping!" May said. "Thank you, Iris!"

"What about me, Iris? I want to become a human too, so I can play jazz with the big boys on stage!" Barry begged.

Iris snapped her fingers across Barry's jaws, and then said, "Did you not hear one word we sang in that number just now? Just dig a little deeper, and you'll find everything you need."

Iris then pushed Barry towards the door, and said, "You'll need to get swimming to make it in time."

"Hold it! I have a better plan!" Barry said.

* * *

Immediately, they found a showboat, on their way to the dock at Petalburg, and then Barry climbed on the side, ready to get on. After making sure the coast was clear, Barry then got on the boat, with May, Drew, and Brock in tow.

"Look out!" Drew said, as he pointed out some shadows that looked like poachers with weapons again.

"They've got guns!" Barry shouted, as the group then tried to hide.

Drew and May then hid behind another shaft nearby, while Brock flew overhead out of sight, and then Barry, out of ideas, just held completely still.

Turned out the "poachers" were just some musicians dressed as Pokémon, each with instruments. One was dressed as a Pignite, another was dressed as a Pelipper, and the last one was dressed as a Sandslash.

"Wow! That's one realistic and killer costume." The Pelipper said, as he pulled on Barry's skin.

"Hey, Feraligatr, can you blow that trumpet? HARD?" The Pignite asked.

Barry eased up, and then he played a few notes on his trumpets.

"Nice! Hey, come and play with us!" One of the musicians said. "We're playing for the Petalburg Festival!"

Barry was delighted; the musicians did not even know he was a real Feraligatr, but he was just too happy.

Barry then started playing his trumpet as he followed the group.

May and Drew were in each other's embrace while still hiding, and then they broke the hug, while both were blushing, and then acting shy with each other.

"Well… um…" Drew was about to say, but Brock cut in.

"What are you two standing around for?! We can't miss this! Barry's going to play jazz with the big boys!" Brock said, as he and May started to follow.

"Drew, you coming?" May asked.

"Um…" Drew said, blushing. "I'll… Meet up with you later. Go on ahead without me."

May then started following Brock.

Drew's face then fell a little bit; he felt something in his chest that he had never experienced before. He did not know what it was, yet he liked it, and he knew the source of the sensation was May. Putting his hand to his chest, Drew felt his heart beating rather quickly. He then realized what Iris was trying to tell him: he needed _MAY_ in his life.

Drew then knew what he had to do: he had to make May his forever. He had to tell her, but the question was how he would do it.

_'Oh, May…' _Drew thought.

He then noticed a few festival beads on the ground, and a bit of wire from a wine bottle. He picked them up, an idea forming in his head on how to tell May how he felt about her.

"Perfect! I know just what to do! With a little luck, it will be a success, and May will be mine…" Drew said, blushing, as he started to get to work.

Although it took a while, Drew had conjured up a pearl ring out of the wire and one of the beads. He then put it inside a chestnut lined with silk cloth that he had found lying around. He closed the nut, and then sighed a little bit, putting his hand on his cheek in distress.

He was out on another part of the boat, mainly in an area where no human would look. He was looking up at "Solidad", and then Drew sighed.

Drew was very nervous. He had never done something like this for a girl in his entire life, much less one he had met only the day before. Drew knew that he had fallen in love, and he was about to take a big step. Whether or not he was jumping the gun, he did not care.

_'I can't believe I'm doing this…' _Drew thought, as he looked up at "Solidad", and sighed. "Oh, Solidad… I know you're only a star, but… I need some advice. Why can't I just look May in those beautiful blue eyes of hers, and say…"

Drew then stood up, held the nut out, and acted out what he wanted to say, while saying, "I will do whatever I need to do, to make sure your dreams are reality, because… I love you."

Brock was watching, and since he only caught part of what was going on, Brock got angry, and he was about to speed in an attack, and started shouting, "Hey, stop hitting on my girl!"

"Brock, chill out!" Drew said, as he was dodging Brock's moves. "I'm not in love with Solidad! I was referring to _MAY!_"

Brock stopped immediately, and all his anger melted away, before saying, "I knew it! Hahaha! You love her, don't you?!"

"You're right. More than life…" Drew admitted, with a sigh. "But you've never had this problem with Solidad."

"You're right, I haven't," Brock said. "And sorry about going all Aggron on you like that."

"It's fine," Drew said. "You were just trying to protect the girl you love. I know how you feel. Truth is, I can't marry Dawn Berlitz anymore! I gotta find another way to help May get her family's Gym back up! I could get some jobs to do…"

"Oh, man, I can feel the love between you already! I can't wait to tell May!" Brock shouted.

"Hold it!" Drew said, grabbing Brock by his wings. "_I_ have to be the one to tell May! Just the two of us! And it has to be _only_ the two of us."

"Gotcha! Good luck, Romeo!" Brock said.

"Emphasis on luck…" Drew muttered, as he was just too nervous.

Later, Drew had found May, and was bringing her to the uppermost part of the boat.

"Where are you taking me?" May inquired.

Drew was about to help her up, and then Drew said, "I just… Want to show you something to celebrate… You know, our last night together as Politoed."

May then saw the display Drew had made. It was like a dinner table for two, and there was a large rose in the center of the "table" Drew had made out of a bucket, and some smaller chairs were surrounding them.

"Oh… In my whole life… No one's done anything like this for me," May said, as she turned to Drew. "Pfft… Hahahaha!"

Drew was wearing a Mothim on his chest, which was rather big, so it looked fairly gaudy on him.

"Too much?" Drew said, before clearing his throat. "Thanks, Mothim."

The Mothim flew away, and he irritably said, "I thought it was a good touch…"

May was still giggling, but Drew said, "Please ignore that."

Drew then led May to a chair, and pulled it out for her to sit in, which she did, and then Drew went and took a dish with a serving dome, which he made out of a dinner plate and a Pokémon food dish.

"What's this about?" May asked, as Drew put the dish down in front of them.

Drew took the dome off, revealed chopped berries, and said, "Ta-da!"

"Wow, you chopped!" May said, impressed.

"I sure did!" Drew said, as he sat down. "You've really influenced me."

May smiled as she rested her cheek on her hand.

_'Okay, Drew, word this right!'_ Drew thought. "Because, I've dated many other women, and…"

Drew then saw the sour look on May's face, and then he started babbling, trying to correct himself.

"Er, I mean… Well, there have been other women. And you couldn't be any more different from them," Drew said, as he then started fumbling to get the chestnut, only for him to unintentionally push it away. "You're practically… He… One of the boys!"

May blinked and cocked an eyebrow while looking at him, and then Drew, finally getting the nut, said, "No, no, no! You're not a boy! Let me start over!"

Leaning on the table, Drew then fell over, covering himself in the food, causing May to hold back her laughs, and then he said, "Haha… I'm not myself tonight…"

_'No duh!' _Drew thought to himself. He then grabbed the nut before May could see it. "May!"

"Sorry, that was loud," Drew said, as he noticed May giggling. "This is a disaster. It's ruined."

"No," May said, taking a few berry pieces off of Drew's face, and then flung it away. "It's adorable."

Drew then chuckled a bit, before getting down on his knee to pop the question, but as he said, "May… I…"

May noticed something out of the corner of her eye, and she said, "There it is!"

She then got up and left to go look, much to Drew's disappointment.

May sat down on the ledge, looking at her family's run-down Gym. Drew sat down next to her, and then just correctly assumed, "Your Gym?"

"Oh, can't you just picture it?! All decorated in dedication to Normal-type Pokémon!" May said, her eyes sparkling.

"Normal-type Pokémon?" Drew asked.

"Yeah," May said. "The Petalburg City Gym is a Normal-type Gym."

"Sounds like some pretty powerful and versatile Pokémon are trained at that Gym." Drew said.

May nodded, and then she said, "Challengers are going to be coming from all over the world, just to battle us!"

"Us?" Drew said, as he opened the nut.

"Oh, no… I was referring to my father," May said. "He wanted to renovate the Gym before Max, my younger brother, could take the reigns as Gym Leader while I became a Coordinator."

_'Wanted?' _Drew thought. "What happened?"

May sighed sadly, and said, "He died from Leukemia around five years back."

May then took Drew's hand, and then said, "But with your help tomorrow, our dream is finally coming true!"

"Tomorrow?" Drew inquired.

"If I don't get a large sum of money in tomorrow to the contractors, it's going to be another five years before I can get enough cash to renovate the Gym. And another five years I have to delay my journey." May explained.

_'If that's the case…' _Drew thought, and then he closed the nut.

"May, I love…" Drew began, causing May to look over at him. "The way you brighten up when you talk about your goals."

May smiled.

"Goals that are just… Just so amazing, that…" Drew said, before taking May's hands into his. "I _promise_ that I'll do whatever it takes to make them reality."

The steam horn then blew, and the captain said, "All ashore who's going ashore! Our stop, Petalburg City!"

Drew then stood up, while picking up the nut, and then he said, "I'll get Barry and Brock."

May nearly tried stopping Drew, but he was already gone into the shadows. May then sighed sadly, and looked up to the star, and said, "Solidad… All my life, I thought I was sure what I wanted, but… Now I'm not sure. I need some advice; what should I do? Please tell me…"

However, what she did not know, was that one of Harley's shadows had gotten Drew, and then as Drew struggled to get free, the shadow retreated.

* * *

**Uh-oh… Looks like the love isn't gonna happen! And what's worse, now Harley's shadows have Drew! What's to happen next?! Only one way to find out; read and review!**

**And I hope you all know about my shout-out for help on finding a Meadow Vivillon! For anyone who has any information, please let me know! I really want a Meadow Vivillon!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's the next chapter! Sorry it took so long. I guess I just had a hard time finding the motivation here, but other than that, here's the chapter; hope you like it! Please, read, review, and enjoy!**

* * *

Back at Dawn's house, she was knocking on the door to the building where "Drew" was staying, and she was in her wedding dress. However, she was _FAR_ from happy about the situation.

"Drew, your highness," Dawn said, knocking on the door. "PLEASE hurry this up. The last thing I need is for us to be late to our… _GAG_… _Petalburg Festival Wedding._"

"I'm getting dressed," Butch said, from behind the door. "Just a moment, darling Dawn."

"Whatever," Dawn said, rolling her eyes. "But remember: I'm only doing this to save my mother's reputation. I have absolutely no romantic feelings for you whatsoever!"

Dawn then left, and then she saw Kenny, who, for some reason, was _STILL_ wearing his mask.

"Dawn," Kenny said. "So… Tonight's the night, huh?"

"Sadly…" Dawn said. "But I don't want to marry Prince Drew!"

"Then just say 'no' at the vows and you're in the clear," Kenny said, before taking Dawn's hands. "Then once it's all over, you and I can elope, or something."

"You mean it?" Dawn said, her eyes sparkling with love.

"I mean it." Kenny said, before pulling Dawn closer to him.

Back inside the other building, Butch was in a panic.

"Oh, man, I'm doomed!" Butch hollered.

However, a card was thrown in his face, and then Harley said, while his shadow was panicking, "NO, Biffy, _I'M_ the one who's doomed! Less we get that Politoed's blood…"

However, the house shook for a little bit, and then through the fireplace came the shadows, with Drew in hand.

The shadows tossed Drew at Harley, who caught in him his hat, and then he shook him at the shadows, before saying, "We're back in business, my friends!"

"Get your hands off me, you… Butch?!" Drew said, before being shocked to see Butch in cahoots with Harley.

Butch was also holding the talisman in hand and was making ready to draw more blood from Drew.

"Hold still, your highness…" Butch said, as the talisman came close to Drew's hand.

As Barry led his new band off the ship, May pulled Brock aside, and asked, "Brock, where did Drew get to?"

"Aw, look at you!" Brock said. "Where's the ring?"

"Beg your pardon?" May asked.

Brock then said, "Well, if Drew didn't say anything, then I'm not saying anything either. I'm locked up tight like a safe! You're not getting anything from me!"

"Brock…" May said, with a sly smile.

"Okay, Drew can't bring himself to marry Dawn anymore because he wants to marry _YOU_, and once he does, he's going to get a job or two, get you the money to renovate the Gym…" Brock said, as he started rambling.

May's heart went aflutter when she was hearing all of this information. She smiled and blushed.

_'Drew… Wants ME?' _May said.

"Did I say too much?" Brock said.

"No! You said just enough!" May said. "Thank you, Solidad!"

May then started hopping away, within the crowd's parade. She was hopping amongst all of the people, while the floats of several Gym Leaders and famous Coordinators came down the street, such as Santalune City's Viola, Opelucid City's Drayden, Sinnoh Champion Cynthia, Hoenn Champion Wallace, and even Hearthome City's Fantina. The people on the floats were throwing beads and everyone was catching them during the festival.

"He was trying to pop the question! _THAT'S_ what that romantic dinner was all about!" May said, as she kept hopping. "And here I was thinking that all he wanted was Dawn's cash!"

"Hey, what are we looking for?" Brock called.

"Just keep your taillights out for the biggest, corniest float with a Petalburg City Princess, about to kiss herself a…" May said, but then she saw Dawn and "Drew" on the float, getting married. "A Politoed…"

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered together in this marvelous celebration, to join together this prince, and this young lady, in holy matrimony." The priest said.

Dawn and "Drew" were on the altar, arm-in-arm, but Dawn was looking down on the ground, depressed, while Butch was smiling evilly.

May noticed this, as well as the fact that she was still a Politoed; she remembered that Iris said that if Drew kissed May, _BOTH OF THEM_ would become human.

However, May was too heartbroken at this scene.

"Something's off," Brock said. "This isn't what Drew told me! And how come you're still a Politoed? Iris…"

However, May was already long-gone.

Brock soon flew into the darker part of the city; the cemetery, in particular. He was looking around, and soon saw May sulking.

Brock approached her, and then he said, "Look, I know what we saw back there… But if we go back, we'll find your happily-ever-after. I know it!"

"Look, just because you wish for something with your _entire being_ doesn't mean it's going to become real." May said, turning to Brock for a second.

"But… It's like Solidad says…" Brock said, but…

"Has it ever occurred to you that Solidad isn't even _ALIVE?!_" May shouted. "She's a star! Nothing but a sphere of shinning plasma energy held together by its own gravity several thousand light-years away from our position! Open your eyes… Before your heart suffers!"

May then hopped away. Brock was tearing up, and then he turned back to Solidad, and said, "She's only talking out of a broken heart. That's all. Come on, Solidad! We're going to show her the reality!"

Back on the float, the priest was asking, "If any of you object to the union of these two…"

In the foliage nearby, Harley had a voodoo doll of Johanna, with a pin in hand, and then he was chuckling evilly.

Inside a box on the altar, Drew was trapped inside, and as the Priest finally said, "…Speak now, or forever hold your peace."

"I object! Me!" Drew shouted, banging on the inside of his prison.

He tried using his tongue to move the box.

"Do you, Prince Drew, take Dawn to be your wife…" The Priest began.

Brock went up to "Drew" and asked, in his ear, "Drew, what are you doing?!"

Butch shooed Brock away, and noticed Drew's tongue coming out of the keyhole, and then stepped on it, causing Drew a lot of pain.

"… For as long as you both shall live?" The Priest finally said.

"Huh? Oh, yes, I do! I'm for it." Butch said, but Dawn looked at the ground, sadly.

Brock noticed the tongue, and then he went down to the keyhole, before asking, "Drew, is that you?"

"Brock, get me out of here!" Drew said.

"I can't hear you! I'm getting you out of there." Brock said, as he then used his Double Edge to break the seal.

"…As long as you both shall live?" The priest then asked of Dawn.

"I… I…" Dawn said, hesitating, as Harley made ready to pin the heart on the voodoo doll. _'I don't want this…' _"I d…"

Before she could finish, Drew then jumped onto Butch's back, surprising everyone on the cake, and then Drew yanked the talisman's string, causing both him and Butch to fall off the cake, and caused Harley to slip and miss the heart.

"Dang!" Harley growled, angrily.

As Butch fell to the ground, he grabbed Drew, while Dawn shouted, "You okay down there?"

"I just need a moment to blow off some steam!" Butch shouted, as he ran into a nearby church.

Down wiped sweat from her forehead while saying, "What a relief…"

As Butch shut the door behind him, Drew asked, "What do you think you're doing?!"

"This is revenge!" Butch said, holding Drew up to him. "For all of those years of being mortified by _YOU!_"

Harley then literally came back out of the shadows while Brock found his way inside through a broken window.

Harley then shouted, "Get your regal butt back on that cake and seal the deal!"

While they were distracted, Drew inflated his chest, and grabbed the talisman, yanking it off Butch's neck, causing him to change back.

"Stop him!" Harley shouted.

Drew managed to kick the talisman to Brock, who caught it, and flew outside.

Butch and Harley were about to give chase when Harley shoved Butch back, and told him, "Stay out of sight! The last thing we need is someone figuring us out because you went out in the open!"

Brock managed to get out and he started flying. Harley, following, then whistled loudly for his shadow friends.

The shadows then started to chase after Brock, who was flying near the ground, with their intentions to get the talisman back.

Back on the float where Barry was, he was playing his trumpet, but when Brock flew by, stopped playing.

"Brock?" Barry asked.

Barry watched as he saw Brock being chased into the cemetery by the shadows.

"What's the matter? Why'd you stop?" One of the musicians asked.

Barry then clenched his fists: he KNEW what he had to do.

He then started roaring, and everyone started to run, while someone shouted, "It's a _REAL_ Feraligatr!"

Barry then started to head to the cemetery to find Brock.

"May! May!" Brock shouted, as he found her.

"Brock?" May asked.

Brock then handed her the talisman, and then he said, "This proves that what we saw back at the parade wasn't real!"

"What is it?!" May inquired.

"It's a voodoo talisman! The Cacturne Man, he was using it to…" Brock was about to explain, but then he heard the shadows coming. "May, you can't let the Cacturne Man get this! No matter what the cost! Now, go, girl, go!"

May took off, while Brock turned to the shadows, and threatened, "Don't make me light my tail!"

The shadows merely loomed over him, but Brock used his taillight to kill all the shadows, and while he was cheering, he failed to see Harley come up behind him, and have his Cacturne shoot its needles at Brock.

Brock was then thrown to the side, and then he fell to the ground, weakened.

Harley then snapped his fingers, and then Cacturne shoot some more needles at Brock, before Harley put it back in its ball before leaving.

Barry then came along immediately afterword, and shouted, "Brock!"

He soon saw Brock on the ground, and then he said, "Brock…?"

May was still hoping, being chased by the shadows, and after going a few rounds by doing some unpredictable movements to dodge the shadows, May found herself at a dead end. All of a sudden, Harley's shadow confronted her, and she screamed before jumping back.

Before the shadow could grab the talisman, May shouted, "Don't even think about it! Or I'll break this thing into a trillion little fragments!"

Harley saw this, and took out some of his magic dust and then blew it on to May, and then she was changed back into a human, wearing her ideal stage costume. May looked at herself, in disbelief that she was human again.

Soon, the scene around her melted into the Grand Festival after party. Everyone was gathered around, and they were all eating, socializing, and May was the center of attention. Cameras were flashing, and May had her Ribbon Cup in her hands. She soon saw a boy with green hair out of the corner of her eyes, and then she turned to him, asking, "Drew?"

When he turned around, it turned out to be someone else; he had freckles, glasses, and he had blue eyes rather than green.

May looked downcast, and she soon heard some evil laughter. She turned around to see Harley, eating a Ribbon Cup cookie, and then he asked, "Isn't this better than hopping around the swamp in survival for the rest of your life?"

"Cacturne Man…" May said, a little wary.

As Harley shuffled his cards, he came over to May, and said, "I gotta hand it to you, May. When you dream, you dream _BIG_. Look at this party!"

May looked at her surroundings, and although it was everything she could dream of, she knew that it was not real.

"You're going to be the diamond of the Hoenn region!" Harley said. "And all you need to do to make this real, is hand over the talisman."

Harley held out his hand, motioning for May to give him the item.

Back slowly started to back up, while saying, "This isn't right. This isn't even real."

"Come on, now, hon," Harley said, as he conjured up another magic cloud. "Think of everything you had to give up."

The cloud then conjured up Zoey, and she said, "May, working is all you ever do!"

Next, there was Kelly, who said, "I _knew _she'd decline…"

"And think of all the people who encouraged and had faith in you." Harley said, conjuring up another cloud.

"May, I _know_ you'll be able to save enough money to renovate that Gym!" Vivian said, within the cloud.

"We're confident that you can do it." The contractors said, in the illusion cloud.

Seeing this, May started looking a little more downcast and was pondering over the situation.

"And don't forget your father." Harley said, as he then opened up a curtain, and showed May a flashback of one day when Norman came back from the Gym.

He pressed his back and rubbed the back of his neck, from a hard day at the Gym.

"Now he was one diligent and hard-working man of a Gym Leader. Two, sometimes three official Gym Battles a day," Harley said, as May saw her father come back to his family. "He never let his real fatigue show. Not to mention that he never even _knew_ about his leukemia."

May was watching as Norman was really having a happy time with his family. Caroline, Max, and May, they were all having a good time eating dinner, playing, and taking care of his Pokémon.

"He wanted to get his Gym all spic-and-span for his son to take over, and Norman also wanted you to take the stage and make a name for yourself in the Contest world," Harley said. "But that dream never got off the back porch."

May kept watching, as she held the talisman, and it started to fall into Harley's hand.

"But _you_ could give your father everything he ever wanted," Harley said, as May was watching intently. "Come on now. You're almost there."

"Dad never got what he _wanted…_" May said, as her hand was about to land into Harley's palm. "But he had what he _needed!_"

She then tightened her grip and raised the talisman back up, much to Harley's frustration.

May turned to Harley, and said, "He had _love!_"

She then pointed at Harley while holding the talisman, and then she said, "Daddy never lost sight of what was really important in life!"

"Careful! Easy with that!" Harley said.

"So, I won't either!" May said, as she threw the talisman down… Only for Harley's shadow to catch it before the talisman could land.

Harley was then laughing, and used his magic to change May back into the Shiny Politoed. May was looking at herself in shock while Harley said, "You should have taken the deal! Now you'll spend your whole life as a Politoed! All covered in slime!"

As it started to thunder and lightening was flashing, May got an idea, before saying, "Sorry, Cacturne Man, but you don't know the difference between slime and mucus!"

May used her tongue to grab the talisman, and she smashed it, breaking it into pieces.

The magic started to leave the shards, and then Harley shouted, "No! NO!"

May fled while Harley landed on the ground on his knees and looked at the shards in shock while the music started up.

"How am I gonna pay the debt?!" Harley shouted, in fright, as the magic was flying around him.

Soon, masks from the graves came at him, and were scatting as they approached, and Harley said, "Friends!"

_"Are you ready?!"_ The masks sang.

"No! I'm not!" Harley shouted. "In fact, I've got a lot more plans!"

_"Are you ready?!" _Some shrunken heads and such sang.

"This is just a minor setback in a very large operation," Harley said, in fear, as a few voodoo dolls came out of the ground and approached him, as did a few shadows. "Soon as I get another scale, we'll be back in business! I still have that Politoed Prince locked away!"

May, hearing this, had hope, and then Harley was on the back of a gravestone while his shadow was freaking out, and Harley said, "I just need some more time!"

However, the gravestone Harley was leaning on turned into an even larger mask, and he started to run. However, his shadow stayed put and then another shadow grabbed Harley's by the leg and started to drag him, and Harley.

"I just need a little more time!" Harley said, as he struggled to get free. The dolls were drumming again, and then Harley screamed, "I promise to pay you all back! I promise! AAAAHHH!"

Harley was dragged into the mouth of the mask, and when the music ended and everything else was sucked in, the mouth shut and soon, it disappeared in a flash of light, causing May to turn away. She looked at the stone again, and once the dust cleared, it had Harley's face and his name underneath it.

May was breathing heavily, and she managed to calm down. Once she heard some bells, she looked at the clock, and knew she had to hurry up.

* * *

**Okay, that's the second-to-last chapter of this story! You heard right; the next chapter is the final one, too! I hope you look forward to it! Because I sure do!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Here's the last chapter of "The Princess And The Politoed". Now, I got a request to change some of the plot and make sure our "Ray" doesn't die, and I hate to tell you this, but it's still going to happen. As for how this story ends and how May achieves her goal as Coordinator, you'll find out later at the end. Hope you like it!**

* * *

Dawn was waiting outside "Drew's" hiding spot, and then she, with Kenny, _still_ in his mask, there, she was hugging him, and Dawn said, "Prince! Prince Drew, your _bride_ is at her wits end and she's _NOT_ going to be wed to the likes of you!"

She then slammed the door open, and then Butch revealed himself sheepishly, and he said, "Hello, sweetie."

Dawn screamed, and then retreated back to Kenny, and then he hugged her, as Butch ran out of the church, also screaming.

Dawn cried, and then Kenny comforted her, before Drew said, "Ms. Berlitz! Please, down here!"

Drew then got on the table, and then he said, "I'm the _real _Prince Drew!"

Dawn smacked him with a book again, and then Drew weakly said, "…Of LaRousse."

"Pardon? 'Prince'?" Dawn said, a little skeptical, as was Kenny.

May was hopping on the other side of the street, and she saw the scene. Johanna had called the cops, and a few policemen had Butch in cuffs.

"Boys, take this _vermin_ to the Petalburg prison!" Johanna said.

"I'm innocent! The Cacturne Man tricked me!" Butch shouted, only for the cruiser doors to be shut.

"Oh, sheesh… This is a lot to take in," Dawn said, as she and Kenny were listening to Drew. "Let me clarify. If I kiss you before the clock strikes twelve, you and May will be turned back into humans. And then I can assume that you'll force me into marriage?"

"Um… Minus that last bit about forcing you into marriage, you're right," Drew said, before hearing a sigh of relief from Dawn. "But remember: you need to give May all the money she needs to help her renovate the Gym."

May was listening to them from the other side of the wall.

"Because May…" Drew said, as he looked back up to the star. "She's my Solidad."

May blushed as she heard this, and she smiled.

"I'm not sure about this…" Kenny said. "But if it will help May… And as long as Dawn doesn't have to be wed to you…"

"Trust me, I have eyes for May only." Drew said.

"Thanks for understanding, Kenny," Dawn said, as she took a deep breath. "As for the money part, there's no way I would pass up a chance to help out my best friend! So… Here goes…"

Drew apathetically puckered up, and as Dawn was about to kiss him, May interrupted and said, "Hold it!"

"May?" Drew said.

"May?" Dawn said.

"Please! Don't do it!" May said, as she came out of hiding.

"I _have_ to do this! We're almost out of time!" Drew said, as he was about to go back to Dawn.

"I won't let you go through with it!" May protested.

"It's the only way I can help you get your dream!" Drew said, taking May's hands, and then he turned around and began to go back to Dawn.

"My dream…" May said. "My dream is just a complete void… Without _you._"

Hearing this, Drew turned back to May, with a smile, and then May shrugged before saying, "Drew, I love you."

Drew then stood up, walked over to May, and took her hands, and asked, as she stood up, "Claps and all?"

"Claps and all." May said, as she rested her face on Drew's chest.

Dawn was tearing up, before telling May, "Back when we were kids, it was all about true love within our fairy tales… And May, you found it!"

May and Drew were holding hands, and then Dawn said, "I'll kiss him! For _you_, May!"

Dawn was about to kiss Drew, who was ready, only for the clock to strike midnight.

"Oh, no!" Kenny said, upset.

"Oh, snap! I haven't even tried!" Dawn said, before kissing Drew several times. However, nothing happened, and both Drew and May were still Politoed.

Seeing all of her kisses were uneffective, Dawn gave a sad look to her friends, and then she said, "I'm _SO_ sorry…"

"Not your fault," Drew said, mildly disappointed that he and May were not human. "It could be much worse, too."

Kenny held on to Dawn while she was about to shed tears, and then soon, everyone heard Barry shout, "MAY! DREW!"

Drew and May then started to hop over to their Feraligatr friend, who was looking very upset. Dawn and Kenny were watching, in mild sadness.

"Barry, what happened?" Drew asked.

"It's Brock! The Cacturne Man laid him down!" Barry said.

"What?!" May said, as Barry put Brock down on the ground.

Brock's eyes opened up a little bit, and then he said, "Hey, girl… How… How come the two of you are still…"

"We're staying Politoed, Brock." May said, as she held Drew's hand.

"But we're sticking together." Drew said, on May's behalf.

"Oh… I'm happy for you…" Brock said, his breathing shallow. "Solidad… She likes that, too."

Looking at the Evening Star one last time, Brock's eyes closed slowly, never to open them again. In grief, everyone hung their heads in sadness, as the rain started to pour.

* * *

Later in the swamp, there was a proper funeral for Brock. His family had put him in a leaf boat and then as they were about to shove him off, May and Drew put some black roses inside, before the leaf was pushed down the water.

Everyone was sniveling and crying, but when a soft light from above started to glow, they all looked up, and everyone smiled in joy. When one of the clouds beside the Evening Star cleared, there was another star beside it. Everyone, then realizing Brock had gotten his wish to be with Solidad, started cheering and feeling better about the situation. Drew and May then hugged each other, and everyone was very happy at this turn of events.

The next day, when the sun was shinning, in a small "island" in the middle of the swamp, May and Drew were getting married, with Iris performing the ceremony. Almost all of the swamp-dwelling Pokémon were at the wedding.

"By the power vested in me…" Iris said, about to finish up. May was wearing a veil made of Ariados silk and a few flower petals from some local Bellossom. Drew, on the other hand, was wearing a MUCH smaller bowtie on his neck, holding May's hands. "I now pronounce you Politoed and wife! Don't just stand there, Froggy; give your bride a smooch!"

As the bowtie came off, Drew cupped May's face, and then kissed her on the lips, which May subjected to. Magic literally bubbled forth from their lips, and then the magic overflowed in the water. It seemed to envelope May and Drew, as they rose up from the ground, and were surrounded in magic. The magic kept moving around like ribbons of water, and as the brightness of the magic got even brighter, every Pokémon had to cover their eyes.

"This is going to be great!" Iris said, laughing.

Soon, the orb radiated a few more beams of light, causing everyone to cover their eyes. Soon, the magic over May and Drew disappeared like curtains being drawn, and then May and Drew were in each other's arms, still kissing, and spinning in mid-air… While as humans. May was in a white wedding dress with red roses as her flower accessories, while Drew was in a pale green princely suit with dark green gloves. Everyone was looking at them in awe as the newlywed couple was a pair of Politoed just a little while ago.

May and Drew broke their kiss and opened their eyes, only for them to be pleasantly surprised at seeing each other as humans. They examined themselves and then Iris laughed.

"Like I said," Iris said, as she pet her Dragonair. "Kissing a princess turns you back into a prince. Conversely, kissing a _prince_ turns you back into a _princess_ if the gender roles were swapped."

"Once you and I were wed… You became…!" Drew said, in realization.

"A princess!" May said, as she gently grabbed Drew by the front of his suit and smiled. "You just kissed yourself a princess!"

Drew then hugged May by the waist and gently took her chin while saying, "And… I'm going to do it once more!"

May and Drew kissed again, and all of the Pokémon were cheering happily, before Drew picked May up and spun her around.

The scene immediately changed to that of the chapel of a church. May blew a kiss to one side of the church, where her mother, Max, Johanna, Dawn, and Kenny, **_STILL_** in his mask, were clapping for May and Drew. Drew then gestured to May to his parents, an older pair, both wearing royal attire. Drew's father had darker green hair than his son's, and his eyes were hazel. Drew's mother's hair color was paler than her sons, and her eyes were brown, and they were both so proud, and they were clapping.

Soon, May and Drew ran out of the chapel, hand-in-hand, and May was revealed to be wearing the ring Drew made for her, while all of the photographers started snapping pictures. On the carriage, May threw the bouquet, which Dawn caught, much to Kenny's pleasure. The carriages started to leave.

Later, May and Drew went to the contractors and gave them the money to help them renovate the Gym. They happily took it, and all four of them started to get to work, Barry included. It took a few weeks, but soon, the Gym was better than ever after a while, and then as a celebration, they held a gala event at the Gym.

Barry was playing his trumpet, with a few other songbird Pokémon in tow, and they were really kicking up some jazz music. Meanwhile, May put on an appeal with Drew at her side.

_"In the land of Hoenn, there's a city, way up on a river!" _May sang, as her Beautifly and Drew's Masquerain did a double Silver Wind maneuver and got the whole crowd screaming in delight.

May went over to her mother, and gave her a hug, while Drew came in with some muffins that he helped make, and gave them to his parents, much to their delight.

_"Where the women are very pretty. And all the men deliver!" _May sang.

She then pointed up to Barry and his friends; Drew got up on stage and started playing his Poké Flute.

_"They got music, it's always playing. Start in the daytime, go all through the night!" _May sang.

Drew held out his hand to May, who took his hand, and was brought up on stage to join in the dancing, while singing, _"When you hear that music playing, listen to what I say, it make you feel alright!" _

Dawn was dancing, and then she said, "Who'd have thought the Prince's _cousin_ would be here? But… I wonder who he is?"

Dawn then felt someone tap her on the shoulder, and then she turned to see Kenny, still wearing his mask, and he had a jewelry box in hand.

"Kenny!" Dawn said, smiling.

Kenny then got Dawn into his arms, and then he said, "Time to show you who I _really_ am."

Kenny took off his mask, and then Dawn gasped as she stammered, "P-P-P-P-P-_PRINCE_ _KENNY?!_"

Kenny nodded, and then gave her the jewelry box. Dawn opened it, and gasped in pleasant surprise, with tears in her eyes. It was diamond necklace; Kenny put it on her neck, and said, "I was sent here by my aunt and uncle to make sure Drew didn't get into any trouble, which, of course, happened anyway, but I had to go undercover. That's when I met you, and… Well, you captured my heart."

"Oh, Kenny!" Dawn said, as she and Kenny then kissed.

_"Grab somebody, come on down! Bring a paint brush, we're painting the town! There's some sweetness going around!" _May sang, as Drew led her outside in the gardens, and then he dipped her down.

May and Drew kissed once more, before May caressed his cheek as he brought her back up, and then May sang, _"Dreams DO come true in Petalburg!"_

A sparkle then went up to the sky, where Brock and Solidad were…

After the Gym was renovated, Max took the reigns as Gym Leader, just like his father wanted him too; May and Drew went back to LaRousse, Drew's homeland, and May was welcomed with open arms by everyone as their princess.

As for Dawn, she and Prince Kenny were to be wed around three months later, after the media hype and insanity from Drew and May's wedding died down. It was a fabulous time for both May and Dawn; they went from best friends to cousins-in-law.

Drew's parents overheard about May's dream to become a Coordinator, and decided to build a Contest Hall in LaRousse City for every aspiring Coordinator in the kingdom, the princess included. However, in these Contests, May preferred to compete as a normal girl, something everyone was okay with.

Dawn and Kenny, as well as the rest of May's family, would frequently visit. When Caroline and Max were questioned about May's father, they explained what happened to Norman, and so Drew's parents dropped the subject.

As for Butch, he was sentenced to life in prison for impersonating the prince and coercing Dawn into marriage, which, luckily for Dawn was not valid, as the real Drew interrupted the priest before he could seal the contract.

Everyone managed to get what he or she deserved in life, and everyone had what he or she needed. It was a time of joy for everyone.

Overall, and I'm sure you can guess…

They all lived _Happily Ever After!_

* * *

**And… That's all she wrote in this Pokémon Fairy Tale! Now, don't hesitate to ask me for more ContestShipping or other Pokémon fairy tales! Just… Now, don't hate me for this, but… I would prefer you NOT request PokéShipping or IkariShipping. As for OldrivalShipping, etc., I either don't support or don't know those.**


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